Last First Kiss
by AcrossTheSkyInStars
Summary: A/H. When Bella gets accepted to Dartmouth - her dream school - she attends with her best friend/roommate Alice. While there she meets the heartbreakingly beautiful Edward Cullen and finds that she has to deal with his past and her present.
1. Red Roses and Bloody Noses

**A/N: **So this is my first fanfic. Ever. I had an idea that Bella goes to college...which I know has been done before. But here's my take on it. Hope you all enjoy!

**B.P.O.V**

"I don't want to look like a slut!" I yelled at Alice. She had picked out a skimpy red skirt and a sexy black cami. And apparently she didn't care if I froze my ass off. February in Forks was _cold. _And she was making me wear a skirt tonight.

"Well you want to look good don't you?" She asked me raising her eyebrow. Yes, I did want to look good. It was Valentine's Day. And Mike was taking me out for dinner on a date. While I didn't really want to celebrate, Mike had insisted that we do something together.

"Yes," I replied. Mike and I had been dating for almost a month now, but hadn't really had that much time to ourselves. We had been out on a bunch of group outings down to La Push and to Port Angeles, but hadn't had any official dates. We had been friends since ninth grade and I always knew he secretly had a crush on me, but I never wanted to pursue anything. After he had consoled me and threatened to personally kick Tyler Crowley's ass after Junior Prom, I realized how sweet he was. But I needed time to recover from my incident with Tyler...he had been so rough and unnecessary.

"Then put the skirt on," Alice ordered me from my bed.

"Fine," I huffed at her. She always got her way somehow, especially when it came to my wardrobe. I grabbed the skirt and skimpy shirt from her little outstretched hands and slipped out into the bathroom that Charlie and I shared. After I had the outfit on I looked into the mirror, at a loss for words. I darted back into my room so that Charlie wouldn't see me and have a coronary.

"Alice!" I yelled, slamming my door shut. "Charlie will _not _let me go out on _Valentine's Day _in this!" He would bolt my bedroom door and windows shut for sure.

"Oh hush," Alice said, standing up. "Just put a coat on and some panty hose...he'll be fine," she tried to assure me. But it wasn't just Charlie I was worried about. If Mike showed up here and saw me wearing _this_...I thought I would give him a heart attack as well.

"Honestly Alice," I said rolling my eyes. "I look like I should be out there working some corner...not going out on a date." She laughed at me.

"You look sexy Bella. Which is the point," she told me. I groaned. I didn't want to look _this _sexy. I spun around in the mirror and I could see every inch of my thigh right before it disappeared into my crotch. And my top was ridiculous. The cami was horribly revealing, showing all of my cleavage and then some. Though I was only a B cup I thought my boobs would fall out of my shirt if I took one step.

"Can I at least put a shirt on over top of the cami?" I asked her. She would let me put a shirt over top of this one or I would fucking hurt her. "Alice please," I begged her.

"Fine," she agreed finally. She got up and went over to the closet full of clothes that she had picked out for me. I rarely ever bought something without Alice being there, and when I did buy something with her there, she was the one to pick it out. "You can wear this with it," she told me, throwing me a ¾ sleeve grey shirt that still showed all of my cleavage. I put the shirt on without hesitation because I would at least have something to cover my shoulders now; even if it did show all of my breasts. Although the skirt was still unbelievably short I supposed there was nothing I could do about it. I knew that Alice wouldn't budge on that one.

"Okay, I suppose I can live with this," I told her in defeat. She danced over to my side and put one hand on her hip.

"You look amazing. I can't wait to see the look on Mike's face!" She was more ecstatic about my first date with Mike than I was. I _was_ looking forward to it because I hadn't been alone with Mike yet. We had kissed a few times and given each other hugs, but that was pretty much it. A few quick pecks on the lips were all we had between us so far. I wasn't necessarily too eager about moving quickly with Mike, I thought that taking it slow would be perfect for us. And so far he hadn't been a manipulative asshole like Tyler. But tonight would show me if he cared enough about me to respect my decision. After almost losing it to a semi-drunken Tyler Crowley last spring, I realized that my virginity was something that I wasn't going to easily give up. Still examining myself in the mirror, I heard my ring tone go off. I spun around and snatched my phone off the bed, putting it to my ear.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Hey Bella!" Mike's excited voice greeted me. "I'm just leaving my house now, so I'll be there in five minutes. Is that cool with you?"

"Yeah that sounds great, see you in a few," I replied hanging up the phone. "He'll be here in five minutes," I informed Alice. She buzzed with excitement and went to my dresser. She threw a pair of nude coloured panty hose at me and told me to put them on. I obeyed her orders and carefully pulled the panty hose up my legs and underneath my skirt. When they were securely on I grabbed my jacket off my bed and Alice and I left the room. Before going down the stairs I decided to put my coat on for Charlie's sake. He heard us when we were coming down the hallway and called to me from the living room.

"Hey Bells, is that you?" Charlie's voice called. He did that a lot. But in reality who else would it be? I loved Charlie because he was so ridiculous like that.

"Yeah dad it's me," I replied rolling my eyes at Alice. She suppressed a giggle.

"You going out now?" He asked, his voice getting closer; his form soon appeared in the doorway.

"Yep," I replied to him, hoping he wouldn't stroke out over my short skirt.

"You know it's pretty cold out there hun," he told me, looking concernedly at my legs. I shrugged.

"I'll be fine dad, don't worry."

"If you say so Bells," he replied raising his eyebrow. "Mike Newton's taking you out tonight is he?" Charlie then asked, crossing his arms. He was so protective of me, especially since he was the police chief. I nodded my head at his question, but he had nothing to be worried about. It was Mike, this was our first date.

"Yeah, he's taking me out to dinner," I told him

"When will you be home?" He then asked.

"I'm not too sure, before eleven though." His shoulders tensed a bit at the fact that I was staying out later than usual, but he decided to let it go. He stretched out his arms and motioned for me to go over to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and he hugged me back with force.

"Be careful and have fun," he said to me, letting me go.

"I will dad, see you later," I told him smiling.

"See you Charlie!" Alice said to him, hugging him as well. This was like Alice's second house and Charlie was like her second father.

"Bye Alice," he said, waving us goodbye and retreating back to the living room to watch his football. I was thankful that he hadn't had too much of a spasm over my outfit. We walked out the door and my legs instantly stung from the cold. Mike's mom's black Suburban was sitting in the driveway next to Alice's canary yellow Porsche, my old rusted red truck, and my dad's police cruiser. He opened the door when Alice and I emerged from the house and he gave me a big smile.

"Have fun," Alice said to me, giving me a hug.

"Thanks. I'll text you later," I told her, hugging back. She released me and skipped down the stairs to her car. I followed her hurriedly down the stairs and was thankful I didn't fall on my ass. Ever since last spring when my mother had told me that she was going to marry her boyfriend Phil I had gone into this phase. I was a new Bella and she had a whole new territory. She was no longer consumed with clumsiness, no longer blushed at everything and no longer remained passive. Instead I had taken up drinking as a recreational activity, and last spring at Junior Prom was the height of that little experiment. I had also taken it upon myself to get Alice to dress me appropriately to get Tyler and Mike's attention, which was something that I would have been much too bashful to do before. The new me was a refreshing change because I had less bruising around my back and butt, which was always a good thing.

"Wow," Mike began as I got closer to the car. "You look..." he trailed off, looking me up and down for several minutes. I was freezing my ass off and could now see my breath.

"Thanks," I replied. "You look good too." He was wearing his winter jacket, halfway done up, which revealed his blue plaid shirt underneath. Along with it he was wearing a pair of jeans and his blond hair was strategically styled to look like a mess. He stepped a bit closer to me and put his arms around my shoulders to hug me. By this point Alice had torn out of the driveway, on her way to her date with Eric. He pulled away slightly and awkwardly pressed his lips against mine, kissing me. I kissed him back for a minute but quickly pulled away. "I'm fucking freezing," I sputtered at him, shivering. He apologized and got into the driver's seat while I made my way over to the passenger's side. When I got into the car I had a single red rose shoved into my face. I looked over to Mike and smiled. He smiled back and handed me the rose.

"A beautiful flower for my beautiful girl," Mike said. It was really cheesy, but it made me smile. He was trying really hard to be sweet to me. I leant over the console in the middle of the car and kissed him again on the lips. He roughly tangled his fingers into my hair which Alice had curled for this evening's outing. He twisted and dug them into the back of my head and pulled my face closer. His lips parted slightly and his tongue hit my top lip. I opened my mouth in response and he forcefully stuck his tongue in my mouth. He tried as best as he could to be gentle but his quick movements in and out of my mouth were jarring and not very pleasant; he wasn't the greatest kisser. I pulled away so that we could get on with our date; I wanted to know where he would be taking me.

"So, where are we going?" I asked him when he released his death grip on my head.

"It's a surprise," Mike told me, grinning. "But we are going to Port Angeles. I can tell you that much." Port Angeles...a fancy restaurant perhaps? Without another word Mike pulled out of the driveway and began the hours trek to Port Angeles. I turned the radio on while we were driving to break the silence. We didn't make much conversation on our way there and it was a little bit awkward for me. Mike didn't seem to mind it though. After we pulled into the city limits of Port Angeles Mike soon stopped in front of a small Italian restaurant. He got out of the car and came over to the passenger side, opening the door for me. Very gentleman-like. He grabbed my hand and we walked into the restaurant together and were seated in a secluded booth near the back. When I took off my jacket I noticed that Mike was shamelessly staring at my chest. I shifted in my seat but his eyes remained fixed there until the waitress came to the table to take our order. I ordered a water and the first thing that I saw on the menu; Mushroom Ravioli. Mike shook his head and looked down to the menu ordering a coke and a pizza.

"So," Mike began, glancing down to my chest again before he met my eyes. "Have you been accepted to any colleges yet?"

"No, not yet," I replied sadly. I had applied to a bunch but really wanted to go to Dartmouth. Alice and I had both wanted to go there. "What about you?"

"Same," he replied shrugging. "No acceptance letters yet." I just nodded at him and sat there. Not knowing what else to say. He cleared his throat and continued. "Where did you want to get into?"

"I'm hoping I'll get into Dartmouth. I really want to go there. What about you?"

"Oh, I didn't even apply to Dartmouth...I was hoping to go to Washington State," he said sadly. Had he wanted us to go to the same college?

"I'm sure you'll get in," I told him, smiling. We continued our casual conversation for the rest of the meal, and sometimes ate in complete silence. We really had nothing to talk about; we didn't have that much in common. But at the end of the meal he had paid for the bill because he was being a sweet guy and treating me to dinner.

"Thanks for dinner," I told him, getting back into the car.

"My pleasure," Mike replied, smiling at me. He leaned over the console in a movement that told me he wanted to kiss me. I moved towards him and kissed him again, and just like before he was awkward and rough. His sharp movements in and out of my mouth weren't sensual and I wasn't feeling a strong connection to him. I moved my tongue against his to try to get him to slow down, but that just made him go faster. To my slight relief he pulled away.

"Want to go somewhere and talk for a while?" He asked me. I thought it was pretty clear that we had nothing in common and therefore not much to talk about. But I just nodded because he wanted to spend more time with me. He quickly fastened his seat belt and started the engine. He drove down the main street in Port Angeles and made his way to a set of lights. He turned left and continued down the abandoned road. It was dark with the exception of a few street lights, and all the buildings had boarded up windows and doors; they were vacant. Mike pulled the car to a stop next to the curb and cut the engine. He wanted to talk here? We couldn't talk at my house? Or his house? I just shrugged off his choice of location, assuming that he wanted to talk privately.

"I have something to show you," he said, getting out of the car. I followed him and he walked back around to the trunk of his car. He opened it and I felt my heart sink. In the back of the truck he had blankets spread out and pillows lying on the floor. I didn't know what to say. Was he planning on something happening here? He should have known fucking better than pulling shit like this. I was at a loss for words and a little hurt that he would do something like this. "Up you get," Mike said, grabbing my waist and thrusting me into the back of the truck. I landed on the floor of it with a thud and Mike climbed in after me, shutting the door behind him. It was really dark because the windows were tinted, and only a little light from the street lamps came through.

"Mike," I started, but he put his fingers to my lips. I twisted around to try to sit up but he wouldn't let me. He gently held me down on the ground and hovered above me. When he took his finger off my lips he replaced it with his own lips. He began kissing me slowly this time, which was a change from his previous rapid movements. I parted my lips when he did, thinking that it would be harmless. I tried to force bad thoughts about Mike out of my head. Maybe he had just set this up so we could have a comfortable place to make out? I didn't know, and I shouldn't have assumed. He knew about my horrible experience last spring and I didn't think he would try anything that he knew I wouldn't want to do. Mike continued to kiss me, getting rougher by the minute. His hands were soon gripping my shoulders and squeezing them tightly. I placed my arms around the back of his neck and held them there gingerly while we continued to make out. He subtly began bringing his fingers to the zipper of my jacket and undid it while he was still lying on top of me. He spread the jacket open when he had it unzipped and broke our kiss to look down at my chest.

"You look so sexy Bella," he started, putting his lips to my chest. Oh shit, he was going to try something. I was starting to panic. He knew I wasn't ready for this. I squirmed underneath him but he wouldn't let me move. When he kissed the peak of my breast I became angry.

"Mike," I started again, trying to push his shoulders away. The stubborn bastard still wouldn't move. While his mouth was going to work on my chest, he moved his hands down to my skirt. I jumped when he put his hand on my thigh. Oh. My. God. He was a fucking moron. I couldn't believe he was treating me like this. He rubbed his greedy hand all along my panty hose and I kept shoving my hands forcefully against his shoulders. "Mike!" I yelled at him this time. He pulled his face away from my breasts and looked up at me.

"What?" he asked. _You know fucking what, _I thought to myself.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I asked him really annoyed and pissed off.

"Come on Bella," he replied, moving his hand up my thigh now. "You have to be over that by now," he then said to me with a smile. Who the fuck was he to tell me whether or not I was over it? His hand was getting closer to my crotch and I knew that he would try something now for sure.

"I'm not over it Mike," I told him sternly. But that didn't stop his fucking hands from going right up my skirt to the fold of my panty hose. Before I could push his hand away he had hooked a finger into them and my push away had helped him pull them down. I groaned at my timing and luck. I squirmed relentlessly underneath him because he was now clawing at my panty hose to try to get them off. "Mike, please stop it," I told him, gasping for breath. I was getting upset now because he wasn't respecting me at all. He wasn't the person I thought he was. I felt a tear roll down my face. "Mike," I continued in a sob, trying desperately to push him off of me. I felt my breath escaping me in short rasps. I couldn't believe what was happening; I was so upset that my sobs were choking me. Not knowing what else to do to get him off me I started punching him in the shoulder and to my relief it had worked. He sat up just enough so that I could wiggle out from underneath him.

"What the hell Bella?" Mike asked me, rubbing his shoulder. I took my hand and slapped him across the face, hard. He rubbed his cheek and looked at me in shock.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I asked him in a shaky voice, tears still trickling down my face. I wiped my tears away and pushed the button to open the trunk. Just wanting to be out of there so fast that it wasn't even funny I fell out of the trunk, hard, onto the pavement. My hands scraped the ground and so did my knees. When I stood up with blurry vision I saw blood on my hands. I wiped the tears away with the back of my hand so I could see better and I quickly walked away from the truck, not caring where I was going. I stopped when I had walked about a hundred metres and looked down to my knees. My panty hose were torn and my left knee was bleeding a little. I could smell the salt and rust of the blood and it made me nauseas.

"Bella!" I heard Mike call from behind me. I turned around and he was getting out of the trunk. "I'm sorry."

"Fuck _off _Mike!" I yelled at him. I pulled out my phone, my hand shaking, and dialled Alice's number. She answered on the second ring.

"Alice!" I screamed into the phone, sobbing. "Alice," I said again, crying intensely now.

"Bella?...Bella? What's wrong?" Alice's panic-stricken voice asked me.

"I'm in Port Ang – Angeles," I told her, stuttering. "Mike's an ass – asshole," I continued, sobbing into the phone.

"What did he do?" Alice growled into the phone.

"Can you just co – come and get m – me?" I asked her now shaking uncontrollably from the cold and the crying.

"I'll be there as quick as I can, where are you?" She asked me quickly.

"I don't know!" I cried into the phone. "Mike brought me to so – some random place," I explained to her. "Turn right dow – down the first set of lights when you get here," I managed to sputter out.

"I'm leaving right now," Alice said hanging up the phone. I snapped my phone shut and spun around to find Mike standing in the same spot he had been, while I was a hundred metres away.

"Bella," Mike began, moving towards me. With his movement forward, I took a step back.

"No," I said to him shaking my head. "Just leave," I told him, hugging my sides. I felt so violated and manipulated, and it was so much worse than my experience with Tyler because Mike had known that I had that horrible experience. "Go!" I yelled at him when he didn't move.

"I'm not going to leave you abandoned on the streets of Port Angeles looking like that Bella." Oh sure he wouldn't leave me here by myself looking like this, but he would jeopardize our relationship by feeling me up unwillingly on our first date. Since he was going to stay either way I just sat down on the curb on the other side of the road and stared at the pavement, waiting anxiously for Alice. After Mike had stood there for five minutes staring at me, he had closed the trunk and leant up against the back of it, watching me weep cold and alone on the curb.

About forty-five minutes later I heard a loud engine tear around the corner and my head snapped up to find just the car I wanted to see. Alice's Porsche flew down the road and came to a halt in between me and the black Suburban. Alice threw herself out of the car without turning it off and knelt beside my broken figure on the curb.

"Oh my god," Alice said quietly, putting her hand to her mouth. "Did he do this to you?" She asked me, lifting my chin up. I wished I could have said yes, but that was all my doing. I shook my head.

"I fell out of the back of the truck," I told her truthfully, my voice cracking from my sobbing. Alice stood up and spun around and took a few strides towards Mike.

"What is your problem Mike?" Alice asked in a raised voice.

"I didn't mean to...I was...Bella I'm sorry," he said peering around Alice. It was much too late for his apologies now. I got up off the curb and began walking over to the passenger side of Alice's car.

"Let's just go Alice, I don't want to be here," I told her. I knew she was reluctant to leave with Mike still breathing, but I forced her to back down. When I walked around the car, Mike unhitched himself from the Suburban and moved towards me. "Mike, seriously," I said, shooting him a glare.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. Really I am," he said, taking my wrist in his hand. I yanked it back with force and he let me go.

"Don't touch me," I snapped at him in a strained voice.

"Hey Newton!" Alice then called from the other side of the car. "Touch her again and I'll break all your fingers," she threatened in a girly voice, while she was glaring daggers at him with a devious smile on her face. Without giving Mike another look, I hopped into Alice's car and slammed the door shut behind me, locking it. My hands and my knees stung, and I hadn't realized until I was in the warm car that I was freezing. Alice got into the car seconds after me and threw it into reverse, peeling backwards down the street at almost thirty. She spun the car in a circle and put it in drive, not hesitating at the red light to keep going.

"Thanks Alice," I thanked her when we were on our way back to Forks. "But please don't tell Charlie, he'll probably kill Mike," I told her.

"Maybe that's a good thing," Alice mused. But she nodded at my wishes. "Ugh, high school is such a drag! I can't wait to just get out of here and go to college."

"I couldn't agree with you more," I said to her smiling. She smiled back tearing down the highway at eighty miles an hour.

---

A month after Valentine's Day Mike was still texting me his no-good apologies for his random act of horniness in the back of his mother's Suburban. And I still wasn't accepting it. He had texted, he had called, and he had even shown up at my house. This didn't make me all that happy...considering I didn't want to even look at him. It was bad enough that we both had Biology and Gym together. I remembered the day that I decided to change my phone number was one for the record. I had just left Biology to escape from Mike throwing his slur of apologetic phrases at me when he caught up with me as I was walking down the hall.

"Bella, please. Will you just listen to me?" He said from behind me. I stopped abruptly and turned around, because his constant 'I'm sorry for feeling you up's' were getting on my nerves.

"Mike how many times have I told you to fuck off?" I asked him annoyed as all hell. He looked to the ground but didn't answer me. "Does that answer your question?" I then asked, crossing my arms.

"No," he said, looking up at me. "Please. Will you ever forgive me?" He asked with a pleading expression. What a dumb fucking question. No I would not forgive him.

"Why would I do that?" I asked arms still crossed. He shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe...maybe we could go out again. Give us another chance," he now looked at me with hope in his eyes. _No FUCKING way_, I thought to myself. I laughed a little out loud.

"Mike..." I started.

"Please Bella," he begged, moving closer to me. I gave him a death stare which didn't deter him in the least. "We could start over." He grabbed one of my hands and held it tightly. I just stared at him, furrowing my eyebrows. Did he think this was actually going to work? He had completely misled me _and _he had allowed me to never _ever _trust him ever again.

"I don't think so," I told him, making to pull my hand away. He didn't let me go and he kept begging.

"Please. I can't tell you how sorry I am. I've apologized and apologized. What more do you want?" He asked me, gripping my wrist tighter. Before I could even think of an answer, a fist flew by my face and connected with Mike's nose. He fell to the floor hard and starting writhing in pain. My mouth took on the shape of an 'o' and I quickly covered my mouth. I turned around to see who the assailant had been and to my shock, surprise and disbelief it was none other than my best fucking friend in the entire world; Alice. She stood behind my left shoulder with her fist still clenched and she just stared down at Mike's pained form lying on the ground. After a minute or so Alice looked up to my surprised face and just smiled one of her cute little 'Alice smiles' and composed herself. A bunch of people had gathered by now to see what had happened; but no teachers yet.

"Well, it's not his fingers...but at least I broke something," she said to me, putting her hands on her hips. I just laughed hysterically at her for being so amazing. "Sorry Newton," Alice then said, lightly kicking the bottom of his shoe. "But you deserve it."

Alice of course got a three day suspension for breaking Mike's nose, that was a given. She just shrugged her shoulders at the principal when he told her this; she had been expecting it. But she stuck by what she said...Mike deserved it. Deciding to skip gym that day, Alice and I hopped in the Porsche and she whizzed by the tree-lined streets of Forks back to my house. When we got there the cruiser was obviously still gone, Charlie wouldn't be home for hours. Heading up the stairs I noticed that there was an unusually large chunk of mail waiting in the mailbox. I grabbed the stack and followed Alice into my house. Yes, she had a key. I threw the pile onto the kitchen table and went to get a drink. When I returned Alice had a large booklet in her hand and a manila envelope laid ripped open on the table. She was staring at the page wide-eyed and motionless.

"Alice?" I asked her, slightly concerned that she wasn't breathing.

"Bella!" She screeched at me. "You got into Dartmouth!"


	2. Floor Meeting

**A/N: **Hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter! Here's number two. So the first six chapters all happen within the same day. I just couldn't stop writing.

**SEVEN MONTHS LATER**

**B.P.O.V**

"Ouch!" I yelled as I sat up on my bed rubbing the back of my head. I looked down to find that Alice had whipped a pen at me from across the room. "What the hell was that for?" I asked her, annoyed.

"Well I asked you Bella, for the fourth time, if you wanted to come to the floor meeting with me? And you never answered." Alice stood up from her small bed on the opposite side of the room and looked at me with that face that I couldn't say no to. I rolled my eyes.

"Isn't it mandatory that all residents go to these meetings Alice?" I asked her knowingly. She enthusiastically nodded her head.

"I just wanted to make sure you were actually going to go. Because you have been quite rebellious lately Miss Swan," Alice chirped as she danced around the room. Her pixie-like movements made my head spin sometimes. She was always so full of energy. I never really understood why she was always so energetic but ever since I've known Alice, that's how she's been. Energetic Alice.

"Well I figured that I should go to at least the first floor meeting, don't you think?" I asked her cryptically. She always hated when I did that and I knew it. She stopped her pixie dancing and just stared at me with her beautiful little 'hurt Alice' face and crossed her arms.

"I think you should go to all the floor meetings Bella," Alice replied to me with a confident look on her face. Maybe she thought that _she _was the one who would be able to get me to go back to normal. She thought she could snap me out of the 'Rebellious Bella' phase. Truth be told I didn't know that I wanted to go back to the old, passive Bella. I liked the new me. The new Bella. The one that no longer took any shit from anyone. But since I loved Alice like she was my own flesh and blood, I just looked at her with a small smile and nodded.

"Okay Alice, you win. I'll go to _all _the floor meetings with you," I said this with emphasis on the word 'all' because I knew that either way she'd make me promise to go to all of them with her. I knew her much too well. We had been friends since the third grade, when I first started going to school in Forks. I had just moved with Renee and Charlie from Phoenix because Charlie never really enjoyed the heat too much. Instead they had decided to move to Forks which is where Charlie had grown up as a kid. I never cared much where we lived; it didn't matter to me really. The first day of third grade I chose an empty desk to sit at and nervously picked at my nails while I watched the rest of the class file in. Of course, being the energetic little thing that she was, Alice came right up to me and introduced herself. Ever since that fateful day in third grade, Alice and I have been virtually inseparable. We had gone all through grade school and high school being best friends, and had gotten into the same college and decided to go together as roommates.

"Love you!" She announced happily while she blew me a kiss from the other side of the room.

"I love you too Alice," I said catching the kiss and putting it in my pocket. Satisfied that she had apparently gotten through to me, Alice lied back down on her bed and quietly hummed to herself while she stared at the ceiling. Not having anything else to do, I quietly lied back down as well and allowed Alice's soothing melody to fill my head and I found that my eyes soon fluttered closed.

I awoke later to Alice shaking me awake and yelling at me to get up. I sat up groggily and looked around to the clock on my desk. I had only been sleeping for twenty minutes, why was she being so...Alice?

"What...what's wrong?" I asked squinting at her.

"The floor meeting Bella! It's in ten minutes!" She yelled in her most high-pitched Alice voice.

"Okay, okay, calm down. I'm up," I assured her getting off the bed. I made my way to the mirror that was hanging above Alice's desk. I looked like a mess. "Oh fuck," I mumbled to myself, trying desperately to pat my hair down so it looked somewhat reasonable.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Alice yelled from behind me. "You are useless Bella, come here," she continued. In all honesty, I didn't really care what I looked like. But to Alice that was like some sort of Deadly Sin. Looking good was a priority on her list and she never allowed me to leave without first dressing me up like her own living Barbie. "Sit down," she ordered shoving me forcefully into her chair. When I had complied with her orders, she went to work on my hair with a brush. When she thought it was finally tame, she took a hair tie and pulled my hair into a simple pony tail at the back of my head. Satisfied with her creation she spun the chair around and went to work on my face. I never really liked to wear make-up, its not like I needed it. But of course Alice had insisted on it anyways. She hastily took a q-tip with baby oil on it and rubbed it underneath my eyes to get off my old mascara. She then took a Kleenex and wiped the baby oil away. After she was done she reapplied my mascara and touched my cheeks up with a hint of blush.

"There," she said standing in front of me with both of her hands on her hips. "Much better." I stood up and looked into the mirror.

"From now on I'll call you: 'Alice: The Miracle Worker'," I said with a chuckle. I really did look much better. She had a tendency for making me look like I was going to a fashion show rather than down the street. It didn't bother me much, I did turn a few more heads than I'd like, but it made Alice happy and I couldn't ruin her fun.

"And you can wear this," Alice said throwing a skirt and long-sleeved shirt ensemble at me. Ugh, skirts. She had a tendency for making me wear skirts and my previous experience with boys and skirts made me wants to toss the skirt into a shredder.

"What?" I asked giving her a look that clearly said _I am not putting that on._

"Please Bella?" She asked me, again giving me her 'hurt Alice' face.

"Alice we're going down the hall! Why isn't what I'm wearing okay?" I challenged. She turned her head an examined what I was wearing. Rolling her eyes she walked over to me and picked the skirt and shirt ensemble up off the floor and put it back in my closet.

"Fine," she sulked. I really hated seeing her upset. It was like seeing a hurt puppy or something. She knew better than anyone how to pull on my heart strings. So to my great reluctance I got up and very unwillingly put the stupid skirt and shirt ensemble on to make my hurt puppy happy. "You're the best!" She exclaimed once I had the outfit on. We were just going down the hall...so there could be no harm in putting the skirt on. She danced over to me and wrapped her little arms around my neck and hugged me with more force than I thought possible for Alice. She never ceased to amaze me.

"So I've been told," I replied when she had released me from her grip. "Are you ready to go?" I asked looking down at her.

"Yes. I got ready while you were in la-la land talking about Charlie or something," Alice said this waving her hand. She knew I talked in my sleep. It was a little embarrassing at times, especially when I talked about very personal subjects. But Alice didn't mind. Talking about Charlie was something I had apparently been doing regularly since we got here. Although we had only been at the school for three nights now, Alice had said that I was talking about Charlie every time I fell asleep. Truth be told I did miss Charlie, a lot. When my parents got divorced three years ago Renee had decided to move back to Phoenix because Forks was one of the reasons why she was divorcing Charlie. Knowing how much Charlie's heart was breaking and not minding Forks half as much as Renee, I decided to stay with him. I knew it made him happy, and I think it would have killed him if I had gone back to Phoenix. Over these past three years though I had gotten a lot closer to Charlie while I drifted away from Renee; only seeing her every few months.

"Oh. I was talking about Charlie again?" I asked. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

"You were," Alice said with a sad smile on her face. "You miss him don't you?" She asked me, already knowing the answer.

"I do...a lot," I answered truthfully, knowing I couldn't lie to Alice.

"It'll be okay Bella, I promise," Alice assured me, throwing her little arms around my neck again giving me a hug. "I don't want to be rude," she began pulling away from me, "but we're going to be late for the floor meeting if we don't leave now."

"God forbid we'd be late to the floor meeting," I said rolling my eyes at her. "Let's go." As I grabbed my key off of my bed and Alice grabbed hers, I slipped on the grey flats that matched my skirt. Alice however went in the opposite direction. She slipped on her six inch red pumps that matched her tight-fitting red vest. The shoes made her almost as tall as me and I just laughed at her and shook my head as we left the room.

---

As we entered the nearly empty common room I just rolled my eyes. Alice always needed to be early to stupid events like these. That was another one of Alice's Deadly Sins – being late. She entered the room before me and soundlessly glided her way over to one of the vacant sofas in the lounge area of the common room. I suppose the room was fairly large. To the left was a small kitchen equipped with a stove, a sink and a microwave, and to the right were the garbage and recycling bins. Straight ahead however, there were four rather large couches centered around a circular wooden coffee table, all pointing to the beautiful 46-inch flat screen television hanging on the wall.

"Wow," I mumbled to myself, making my way over to sit beside Alice.

"What?" She asked me when I was seated.

"The T.V Alice. It's huge," I told her, pointing to the T.V.

"I know Bella, I saw it," she replied to me laughing. By this point many more people had made their way into the room and Alice had found it necessary to squish me against the arm of the couch to make space for more people. She was so bloody polite. Sufficiently uncomfortable, I decided that I would rather stand than hold my breath for the next ten minutes. As soon as I stood up, someone began to speak.

"Welcome everyone, to Dartmouth. I'd also like to welcome all the first year students to the building," the girl who was speaking was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. She had long, wavy, blond hair and beautiful green eyes. She made me feel instantly inferior. "My name is Rosalie Hale, and I am your floor manager this year," Rosalie continued. "It is my job to make everything as comfortable for you as possible. My room number is two sixteen, if anyone ever needs to find me. And these floor meetings will be monthly. I expect everyone to attend as we will be discussing anything that you feel is important." After she was finished speaking the room went completely silent. Nobody wanted to say anything. And I didn't blame them. What was there to say?

"Alright then," Rosalie said as she cleared her throat. "If you are all satisfied as of right now then you may leave. If you wish to speak to me privately you may stay and do so. In the next few weeks I will leave notices on your doors informing you of the next floor meeting. See you then." Rosalie finished with a beautiful smile painted on her bright red lips. Slightly disappointed that there was nothing else to the meeting I sent Alice a glare that said _this is what you brought me here for? _When she met my annoyed eyes she just shrugged and gave me a typical Alice smile and stood up.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I thought it would be more of a social gathering than a boring information session."

"Don't even worry about it. Its fine," I said to her shaking my head. As I said this I looked towards the door, and in that very instant it felt as if everything was moving in slow motion. I looked up to find the most utterly gorgeous pair of emerald green eyes staring at me. His stunning eyes were accompanied by a tousled mess of bronze hair and features that looked as if they had been chiselled from marble. He looked like he belonged in a Greek Antiquity Museum rather than at Dartmouth. Realizing that I was gawking at him and also realizing that he saw me doing this, I quickly looked down, my cheeks feeling incredibly hot.

"Hello? Earth to Bella?" Alice asked me while she waved a hand in front of my face. "Did you even hear what I said?" I turned my head towards Alice and gave her an apologetic look.

"No. Not really, sorry," I honestly replied to her. Knowing that I was still furiously blushing, but wanting to see if the beautiful boy was still looking at me, I casually chanced a peek to the door. He was gone. _Fuck...at least he's on this floor, _I said to myself, hoping that I would see him again sometime soon. Here comes that new confidence again...what would I even say to him? _Hi my name is Bella. I'm the moron who was staring at you last night. You know...the one that was drooling. _

"Bella!" Alice snapped at me furiously.

"What?" I yelled back at her in an equally as loud voice. I shouldn't have yelled though because in all honesty I hadn't heard a word she had been saying. My attention was too focussed on the boy who had been staring at me.

"I have been talking to you for the past five minutes and you haven't heard a word I've said have you?" She looked at me with crossed arms while she tapped her heels against the floor.

"I told you I hadn't. I'm sorry, this guy was staring at me, and I wasn't really paying attention." Again I had to be truthful with Alice, and I realized that if I wanted to find him again she would probably be my best bet. When I told her this her little brown eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. She always loved to see me happy and she absolutely _loved _to play matchmaker.

"Ooh, was he cute?" She asked like she was trying to get the hottest gossip.

"That is an understatement," I replied fanning my dangerously hot face with my hand. "He was gorgeous."

"And he was staring at you?" I could tell that she was getting excited because she looked as if she was about to bounce right out of her skin.

"Intensely," I said with a firm nod of my head. Remembering those eyes that were staring at me made my spine tingle and instantly gave me butterflies. Beside me Alice looked like she was about to have a seizure.

"Let's go back to our room!" Before I knew what was happening, Alice was dragging me out of the common room and down the hall back to our room.

When we got back to our room I quickly changed out of my skirt and shirt ensemble that Alice had picked out, and slid into my spirited Dartmouth sweatpants and a plain white tank top. I then flopped down onto my bed and waited for Alice to do the same, knowing that she would want a breakdown of 'the look'. Alice was always the one I went to when I needed help with a boy, and not just because she was my best friend. She had some sort of sixth sense when it came to guys and knew exactly what to say and do in every situation. And so far, she hadn't let me down – well in the getting of the guy at least.

"So," she began, sitting cross-legged on her bed. She looked at me with a very excited look on her little pixie face. "Tell me everything...I mean, was he just looking at you?"

"Yeah, he was just like really intensely staring at me. I just looked up and BAM!" I said this clapping my hands together. "He was there. Looking at me. But Alice you have no idea how just...how just..."I really had no words to describe him. Beautiful? Gorgeous? God-like? None of these really described him, but I had to pick something. "Utterly and indescribably _gorgeous _he was." As I said this I turned onto my back and stared at the ceiling.

"Oh Bella!" Alice exclaimed in a high-pitched tone. It wasn't her highest pitched Alice tone, but it was up there. "I am so going to get this guy to fall for you! He won't even know what hit him." She said this with her most devilish little grin. She was probably planning my outfits and hairstyles for the next month. Knowing her, I wouldn't wear the same thing twice. I laughed at her and rolled my eyes.

"Well he lives on the floor. So that will give us something to work with," I noted, glancing over to Alice's bed. She nodded in agreement and lay her head down on her pillow.

"Okay, well I will think up a game plan and possibly try to find out which room he's in." I knew she was thinking out loud. She always did that. "And I will find you the most perfect outfit for the first day of classes. You know, in case you happen to have a class with him." I loved Alice. Greatly. She was the best at everything.

"You're the best Alice," I praised her giving her my most joyous 'Bella smile'.

"So are you," she replied flashing me a grin. "But I'm extremely tired now and I want to get up early tomorrow so I can get a head start on finding him for you." As she finished she stood up and turned off the light and soundlessly crept back into her bed. Although it was dark I could still see her fumbling around with her blankets. I too decided that it was time for sleep and crawled underneath my comfortable duvet.

"Goodnight Alice," I said drowsily, closing my eyes.

"Night Bella," she replied. And that was the last thing I heard before I blissfully drifted into unconsciousness.

---

When I woke up in the morning I felt extremely cranky, and although I couldn't see my clock, I knew it was much too early for me to be awake. The sound that woke me up was the slamming of the door to mine and Alice's room. What the hell was she doing up so early? Again the question of where in the hell she got all her energy from came to my mind. She had to be constantly on uppers or something. Being that energetic couldn't possibly be healthy. Turning from my back onto my left side I slowly opened my eyes to see what Alice could possibly be doing to make so much noise. When my eyes opened and found Alice's bed I noticed that Alice looked _much _different.

She didn't look like Alice at all.

That's because it wasn't Alice that was staring back at me with an amused look on her face.

It was a boy.

He had forehead length, shaggy blond hair and green eyes full of warmth. He was wearing an authentic cowboy hat and had a guitar slung around his shoulder. He smiled at me and I realized that he was very good looking, and also realized that he was in _my room. _I gave him a weak smile in return and cleared my throat.

"Um," I began nervously. "Not to be rude or anything. But who the fuck are you?" I tried to say this in the most polite tone that I could, and to my relief the boy just threw his head back in laughter.

"I'm real sorry there, I didn't mean to startle you," he began in a mild Southern accent. "My name is Jasper Whitlock."

"Hi Jasper. I'm Bella Swan," I replied, introducing myself. So now I knew his name...but that still didn't explain why the hell he was in my room. And where the fuck was Alice? "Again, not to be rude, but why are you in my room?"

"Oh, my bad," he said with a chuckle. "I met Alice in the hall and she told me to wait in here because she had to run to the washroom quick. She should be back soon." Of course. Leave it to Alice to let a beautiful stranger in our room with me still asleep. I slowly sat up in my bed, keeping the comforter close to me to prevent any part of my chest being revealed to him. I looked over to him again and nervously smiled.

"So Jasper," I began. Not knowing what to say really. "You live on the floor?"

"Yep. I sure do," he said this with an enthusiastic nod of the head. It was so Alice.

"Do you have a roommate? Or do you room by yourself?" I wondered if he'd be able to give me any information regarding gorgeous common room guy. I quickly realized that this would be useless. He would probably give me a name. And I didn't know his name.

"Roommate," he replied. "Don't really know the guy, I just moved to the school from Texas, and my roommate's from Port Angeles? Wherever that is," Jasper said with a shrug. Of course I knew where Port Angeles was. Maybe I knew him.

"Oh really? I'm from Forks which is a town pretty close to Port Angeles. What's your roommate's name? I might know him."

"Edward Cullen," Jasper replied. Hmm. Edward Cullen. The name didn't ring a bell.

"Nah, I don't know him," I said a little disheartened. Alice then bounced in the door, her usual chirpy self, but actually looked embarrassed. Something I had rarely ever seen on Alice before. It was quite amusing.

"Oh Bella," she said, her voice cracking on my name. It was so odd to see Alice self-conscious. I basked in her embarrassment for half a second before she continued. "I didn't know you'd be awake...it's really early." I realized that I hadn't yet looked at the time. And when I finally turned my head to my desk, my crankiness flooded through my body. It was only 7:30! Alice knew me well enough to know that I needed at least nine hours of sleep. I had only gotten seven hours. I groaned loudly on purpose and threw myself back down onto my pillow.

"Alice!" I exclaimed in a very high-pitched Bella tone. Which I rarely ever used. "It's only seven thirty!"

"I know I'm really sorry. But I met Jasper here in the hall. We bumped into each other by accident," she said this with a devilish smirk on her face. She didn't 'accidentally' run into Jasper. She probably saw him coming and thought he was cute. With Alice, nothing was ever done half-ass. "He doesn't really know his roommate and it probably wouldn't have been a good idea to wake _him _up this early in the morning. You're my best friend; I know you wouldn't mind half as much as his roommate would." I rolled my eyes. She was right. Like always. And I knew either way she'd convince me sooner or later. I again sat up and looked to Alice who was strategically wearing her sexy frilly white skirt and her bright blue halter top that revealed some, but not too much, of her cleavage.

"It's okay Alice," I assured her with a smile. She happily smiled back at me and danced her way to her bed and took a seat beside Jasper.

"So you've met Bella?" Alice asked, turning her attention to Jasper.

"Sure did," Jasper replied smiling widely at her. _Oh wow, _I thought to myself. They were totally and completely smitten with each other. It was actually really adorable. I couldn't help but smile. "Oh and I'm real sorry we woke you up Bella. It's quite rude of us," Jasper apologized turning to me. I just shrugged like it was nothing

"Don't worry about it Jasper, honestly." I felt bad. Was I really that cranky? To assure him that I wasn't really mad I tried to muster my friendliest smile.

"Anyways, Bella," Alice began, making my attention turn to her. "We were going to go get some breakfast. Would you like to come?" Saying this, she very clearly shot me a look that said _if you say yes I will fucking rip your head off. _It was very hard, but I managed to suppress the fit of laughter I was about to go into and just shook my head.

"No thanks," I replied, almost laughing. "I'm going back to sleep." Still looking at Alice's over-excited face, I lied back down, happy that I could help her out with _her _guy.

"Okay," Alice said to me. "Um Jasper why don't you go wait in the hall, I'll be right out," she said to him politely flashing him her best smile.

"Sounds good beautiful," Jasper replied standing up. He turned to me, tipped his cowboy hat down and nodded. "It was good to meet you Bella." He was such a gentleman. It was endearing.

"You too Jasper," I replied watching him leave the room. As soon as he was gone Alice bounced onto my bed and was giggling like a little school girl. She sat on my bed balancing on her knees with her back straight as a board. She was _glowing._ "Alice!" I laughed trying not to be too loud.

"Oh my god Bella!" She softly whispered, covering her mouth. "Isn't Jasper just so...delightful?" She was so giddy, and overly energetic. But she was still Alice. Oh my god. She was Alice on steroids. That thought both made me giggle and slightly scared me.

"He's great Alice," I agreed smiling up at her from my pillow. She squealed at the fact that I approved. But in all seriousness, how could I not approve? He seemed perfect for Alice.

"Thanks!" She replied, jumping down from the bed. "I'm going to breakfast with _Jasper_." She said this heavily emphasizing his name. "Be back later, don't wait up!" She joked to me as she headed for the door.

"Oh don't you worry your pretty little head off. I won't," I replied to her, smirking into my pillow. And with that, Alice took off out the door to dine with her Prince Charming. Unfortunately, all I had of who could_ potentially_ be my Prince Charming was a now hazy vision of emerald eyes and bronze hair. As I heavily focussed on these features and the possibility of running my fingers through that gorgeous hair, my eyes flickered closed. I soon found myself drifting in and out of consciousness surrounded by a swirl of emerald and bronze, until I at last surrendered to my much needed sleep.

**Please review! ******


	3. Invitations

**B.P.O.V**

I woke up what I assumed was a few hours later to utter and complete silence. _Ahh, finally, _I thought to myself. Alice must still be out to breakfast with Jasper. I opened my eyes and quickly scanned the room. It was empty. This had to be the first time since I had been here that that I had woken up peacefully. Every other time it was either to an alarm clock, or most times it would be to my own personal alarm clock – Alice. Or there was the incident only a few hours ago where I awoke to a strange guy named Jasper in my room. I prayed that that would never happen again. Sitting up I looked over to my desk; the time was 10:40. I got three extra hours of sleep. No more cranky Bella. Quite content with myself I got off my bed and went over to Alice's desk and pulled down her mirror. Yikes. My hair was horrible, the pony tail had come out during the night and my hair was everywhere. I sincerely hoped I didn't look this bad when Jasper was here this morning.

Shrugging off my horribly ridiculous hair, I grabbed my favourite strawberry shampoo and face wash from my cabinet, and collected my fluffy, green towel from the hanger in my closet. I then slipped my flip flops on and headed to the bathroom. I was desperately in need of a shower. After I thoroughly washed my body and my hair, making sure it was tangle-free, I realized that I forgot to bring a change of clothes. _Oh shit, _I thought to myself. Not really feeling like walking back to my room in nothing but a towel, I reluctantly put the clothes I had slept in back on. When I got back to my room it was thankfully still empty. Putting away my shampoo and hanging up my towel, my stomach began to growl. Maybe Jasper and Alice were still at Commons getting breakfast. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I interrupted them now. She could easily have gotten him to fall for her in less than one hour. It was Alice. Deciding that I would go down to Commons to try to find them I realized that I had a much harder task at hand first. Getting ready. I knew that if I went down there all grungy looking I would get a very lengthy lecture from Alice later. Violating one of the Deadly Sins didn't go unpunished.

I was certain of one thing though; it would be easier for me to do my hair and make-up than it would be to choose my outfit. With that I grabbed my brush and quickly ran it through my hair to get out any knots, and then sectioned it off so I could start blow drying it. My hair wasn't really that thick, which I was thankful for, so blow drying it straight was a piece of cake. The only part of my hair that I actually needed Alice's straightener for was my bangs; they always decided to be a pain in the ass which made my life that much more difficult. After I finished my hair I thought it would be a good idea, for Alice's sake, if I applied a small amount of make-up. I grabbed my miniscule make-up kit, went over to Alice's desk and pulled down her mirror. I applied some mascara and a tiny bit of blush on the apple's of my cheeks, and finished it off with a light application of brown eye shadow. She better fucking appreciate all the trouble I'm going through to make her happy. I never put my own make-up on because _I _never found it necessary. But just because she wasn't here didn't mean I didn't know how to do it myself. And _that _would be the exact thing she would say to me if I went down there make-up-less.

When I was satisfied with my 'creation' as Alice would call it, I turned to my closet and groaned. I _hated _picking out my clothes. In all honesty Alice usually did that for me. I know it sounds like I'm five years old; getting my mommy to pick my clothes out for me, but Alice was my fashion guru. I stared absently into my closet for a good couple of minutes before I started to focus on one thing. I decided that I was just going to go simple. She couldn't get mad at me for wearing jeans. I put on my favourite pair of grey skinny jeans that honestly made my ass look really good, and thought that my sapphire blue long-sleeved shirt went with the jeans perfectly. The impossible task of finding something to wear was apparently not impossible at all. Finding something to wear actually took less time than my hair. Usually I would have been staring at the closet for an hour desperately trying to find _anything, _but I would normally just give up and decide not to go out. I don't know why, but today I felt a little different. Off somehow...but not in a bad way. Like most things, I just shrugged this off too.

Grabbing my key off the bed, I went over to my closet again, forgetting that I still had to pick out shoes. But I already knew the shoes that went with this outfit. My cute little sapphire blue flats that I bought when I had purchased the shirt. Smiling to myself because of how fashion forward I was being I locked my door from the inside and left the room. Stuffing my key into my back pocket I made my way to the staircase and went down three flights of stairs to the tunnel. I loved using the tunnel because it prevented me from going outside, and it would be really good for the winter. It connected the surrounding residences with Commons, and I was glad that mine was one of them. Making my way upstairs to Commons once I was through the tunnel I began to hear the loud noises and the bustle of the morning rush. When I entered I was in the serving area, naturally. I decided that I would rather find Alice first than buy my food to make sure that I had someone to sit with.

I carefully manoeuvred my way through the swarm of students to the dining area of Commons and carefully scanned the room for Alice and Jasper. I remembered that he was wearing a cowboy hat, something that I would surely recognize. As I continued my scan of the room someone bumped into the back of me, hard, and almost knocked me down.

"Sorry! Oh my god, I'm so sorry! That guy totally bumped into me," I heard a girly voice exclaim from behind me. I turned around to find a fairly pretty girl staring at me with a horrified look on her face. She was a little bit shorter than me with light brown hair and blue eyes. "Are you okay?" She asked me when I didn't respond to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about it," I told her, shrugging.

"Okay, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to." God I get it. You're sorry. Not a big fucking deal.

"It's alright, really," I assured her, plastering the most fake 'Bella Smile' on my face.

"Good," she replied smiling back. "I'm Jessica by the way," she said stretching out her tiny hand while she balanced her food in the other.

"Bella," I introduced myself shaking her hand. She seemed pretty nice.

"So Bella," she began energetically. "Which building do you live in?"

"Berry...you?" I was only asking to be polite. I didn't really care.

"Me too!" She exclaimed with more enthusiasm than was necessary. "What floor?"

"Second floor. What about you?"

"Oh darn. I'm on the fourth," she replied to me looking a little saddened by that fact. _Yeah, what a crying shame, _I cruelly thought to myself. I could totally be such a bitch to her right now. But I wasn't going to be. Because I wasn't cranky Bella today.

"Bella!" I heard Alice's voice call. My head snapped up from looking at Jessica and scanned the room to see where her voice had come from. I started at the left, but when she called my name again my head swivelled to the far right. There she was, in all her glory. She was sitting at a table alone with Jasper waving her little arms frantically at me. I just smiled at her and shook my head. I turned to Jessica. I decided that I was going to be _extra _nice to her today.

"Want to come sit with me and my friends?" I asked her politely.

"Really?" She asked, that stupid grin coming onto her face again.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go," I replied making my way over to Alice and Jasper. When we got to the table I noticed that Jasper and Alice were sitting _very _close to each other. Oh Alice.

"Hey Bells!" Alice greeted me when I finally made it to the table. "About time you woke up." Bells. She hadn't called me that in a long time. And it instantly reminded me of Charlie. That was his nickname for me.

"Hey you," I replied smiling. "This," I began, turning to Jessica, "is Alice, my roommate. And her friend Jasper." Alice greeted Jessica with a friendly smile and Jasper tipped her his cowboy hat. "And this," I continued turning to Alice and Jasper, "is Jessica." Jessica enthusiastically smiled and took a seat at the table. I followed her actions taking the seat on the other side of Alice.

"Bella!" Alice yelled at me smacking my arm forcefully. What the hell?

"Ouch!" I yelled back at her. "Alice. What the hell?" At my remark Jessica snickered. I just rolled my eyes. "What was that for?" Alice giggled, rubbing my arm better.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to hit you that hard," she apologized with a smirk. "But I happened to notice that you did a very good job with yourself today. I'm proud. My baby's all grown up!" I knew she'd love me for it.

"Aw thanks mom," I replied giving her my cheesy smile. "I did it all by myself!"

"You actually do look really good though. Kind of different..." she said this trailing off. So she noticed it too. Weird. I just looked at her with a clueless expression and acted like I didn't notice the difference in me too.

"Yeah, you look better than you did this morning," Jasper piped up, laughing. "More tame. Less scary." Oh god. So I did look like a rampant lioness this morning, waiting to rip someone to shreds.

"I'm really sorry about this morning Jasper. Alice knows that I need my sleep or else I get cranky." I sincerely apologized because he seemed like a really nice guy. And I could clearly tell that Alice liked him.

"Cranky Bella isn't much fun," Alice agreed. While we were talking Jessica was just happily listening to our conversation and munching down on her greasy grilled cheese.

"No worries," Jasper told me politely accepting my apology. "You're not a morning person. Apparently neither is my roommate; I bet he's still asleep." Jasper shook his head and laughed softly, turning his attention to Alice. While they became engulfed in light conversation I reluctantly turned to Jessica who had nearly finished her grilled cheese and was now gulping down some orange juice.

"So," Jessica began, awkwardly smiling at me. "Where are you from?"

"Forks, Washington." I replied adding the 'Washington' in just in case she didn't know where it was. It was a pretty small town. "You?" I asked her, again to be as polite as I could be.

"I'm from around here." She said almost frowning. "My parents kind of forced me to go to the closest school, but so far Dartmouth is awesome. Do you like it here?"

"Yeah I do, it's great," I replied truthfully. Before Jessica replied though she gasped and covered her mouth. Her eyes went wide. What the hell is wrong with her?

"Oh. My. God. Bella," she quietly whispered each word individually to me through her hand. She was so odd. "Don't look now, but he's just so...oh, my...just. Wow." What the hell was she saying? I turned my head to look in the direction that Jessica was looking and my jaw dropped. It was him. Standing in line to pay for his food. Looking possibly better than he did yesterday. His hair was still a tousled mess, but it made him appear that much more fantastic. His eyes were still bright, dazzling, emeralds and his face was still heartbreaking to look at. My cheeks were instantly stained pink when I saw him even though he wasn't looking back. And of course Jessica was still babbling to herself about how gorgeous he was. I hastily turned to Alice and tapped her shoulder with a great amount of force.

"Ow, Bella...what?" She saw the look on my face and saw how much I was blushing and nothing else needed to be said. "Oh my god!" She shrieked. "Where is he?" She knew me way to fucking well. It was quite ridiculous. I looked over my shoulder to the lunch line.

"He's over there, in the line, paying for something. Tall, crazy bronze hair, green eyes, _gorgeous,_" I whispered to her quickly. We both looked at him at the same time and when we did, he had finished paying for his food and was scanning the room. Possibly looking for someone to sit with. I would have loved to have gone up to him and just pulled him back to the table with me, but I was much too chicken to do something like that and I would _not _let Alice do that. Way to embarrassing for me. I'd have to go crawl in a hole and die if that ever happened. But, before Alice or I could say or do anything, Jasper uttered the one word that made me feel like vomiting. Not out of disgust, but out of the fact that I was embarrassed beyond belief and wanted to run away and never look back.

"Edward!" Jasper called to him.

Oh. My. Fucking. God. He was Jasper's roommate. He was Edward Cullen.

I was blushing so fiercely that I thought I could fry an egg on my face. He was actually going to come over here. For _real. _I didn't know what to do. I was panicking. I know I thought about going up to him, and planned what I would say to him if I saw him again. But in the heat of the moment I couldn't bring myself to face him. He clearly saw me looking at him last night and that was embarrassment enough. I thought I was going to faint so I stood up shaking slightly and told Alice that I was going to get something to eat. She saw me shaking and stood up with me.

"I'll come with you," she offered noting my awkwardly frail state. I just nodded my head and while she told Jasper she'd be right back I took off without her and headed in Edward's direction, but made sure I was out of his line of sight. I was fairly short so I covered myself by hiding behind the condiment cart in the middle of the dining area. It looked as if I had avoided his gaze, and I sighed in relief as my shaking began to subside. I waited impatiently for Alice to leave the table and started picking at my nails. Something I did only when I was nervous. When she finally made her way over to me she smacked me. "What the hell Bella?" She asked in a whispered high-pitched Alice voice. Very rare.

"I just couldn't do it. Alice you saw my face. I was panicking. What am I supposed to say to him? Obviously he saw me looking at him last night. He was staring right at me!" I was ranting like the words couldn't escape my lips fast enough. She grabbed my face between her hands and looked at me with a stern expression.

"Calm the fuck down." Alice _never _swore. I instantly shut the hell up and listened to her. "Okay, so you just go back to the table and introduce yourself and make light conversation. Just be natural. No need to get all huffy and nervous. And I'm pretty sure last night he knew you were looking at him, but he was looking at you too." That was true. I never thought about that. He was _staring _at me. Good call Alice. I nodded my squished face vehemently between her hands and she released me from her rather strong grip. "Are you okay now? Can you function like a normal human being? Or normal for you?" She asked me raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." I firmly replied. I was still hungry though. "I need some food though." She just nodded her little head and began towing me to the serving area by my shirt sleeve. When I had finally calmed down from my brief bout of craziness and had purchased my caesar salad and pasta, I took a deep breath to prepare myself for what I was about to face. Alice and I left the serving area and I deliberately walked slower than usual to prolong my prep time. I kept taking deep breaths to ensure that I didn't start freaking out again, and thankfully it worked. When we got back to the table Edward was quietly eating his pasta while Jessica annoyingly babbled in his ear about something that he probably wasn't even listening to. I took the seat that was still next to Alice, which put Edward on the other side of the table. I hesitantly took my seat, but willed myself to stop being such a baby. What happened to this new Bella? No shit from anyone, confident, witty, snide. She was fading. Instead I was reverting back to the old Bella who was shy and clumsy, and blushed all the time. Interrupting my train of thought Jasper began to speak.

"Alice," he said, putting his arm around the back of her chair. "This is my roommate, Edward." Alice looked over to Edward who had looked up to her at the mention of his name and they both smiled at each other. My heart skipped a beat. His smile was breathtaking. He then nodded his head and turned back to his food. "And this," Jasper continued. I was next. He would now look at me. I hoped with all my heart and soul that I wouldn't furiously blush when he looked at me and smiled. "Is Alice's roommate, Bella." As Jasper said my name, Edward looked up from his meal, and made my heart stop. His beautiful eyes bored into mine making my spine tingle and his perfectly crooked smile made my breath hitch. I tried my best to smile back at him as convincingly as possible, but I ended up being too dazzled by his looks to form a coherent thought or action. When I had reciprocated my best 'Bella smile', he shifted in his seat and looked down. I only realized after he looked away that I was of course blushing. Why wouldn't I be?

Cursing to myself on the inside I opened my salad and forgot that I didn't grab a fork. I annoyingly scratched my chair across the floor as I pushed myself away from the table. Everyone at the table turned their attention to me. My eyes only met Edward's. I gave him a weak smile and apologized to everyone. When I stood up Alice looked at me like she was going to kill me.

"I'm going to get a fork," I assured her. She probably thought I was being a chicken and trying to run away. But the worst part of facing Edward was over. He made no mention to the embarrassing event that occurred last night...maybe it was just as embarrassing for him too? Alice's face softened and she nodded, while I began to walk away. I remembered, as I was walking, that these pants really worked for me. With that thought I hoped that Edward would notice the effect they had on my ass and watch me walk away. When I got to the condiment cart and grabbed a fork I deliberately dropped it on the floor and bent down at my waist to pick it up. I, as flawlessly as possible, did a little 'Alice dance' over to the garbage and dropped the fork into it. When I went to get another fork and turned back toward the table I noticed that Edward's hand was in mid-air and it was fork-less. He was staring at me, and his jaw was slightly gaping, while his fork was lying absently on the table. Realizing that I had turned around, he looked down and shook his head fiercely. Ahh, my evil plan had worked. He was watching me when I left.

Walking back to the table, I put my head down and smiled widely. I was so devious. I loved it. And apparently he did too. When I sat down and began to eat my salad Alice was softly giggling, and I knew that she was laughing at my horrid performance. But obviously it worked if Edward was looking at me like that. While I ate, I heard Jessica continue her babbling in Edward's ear, and I decided that I would join in on the conversation.

"So you're from Port Angeles?" Jessica asked him, a little too interested.

"Yeah, it's in Washington," Edward replied to her in a bored voice. When he spoke it was absolutely mesmerizing. His voice was like melting honey, and it in turn melted my insides.

"Oh, that's cool. Bella's from around there. Or from Washington...aren't you Bella?" Jessica turned to me and acknowledged me with a look that told me she was really into Edward.

"I live in the next town over," I replied to her, looking at Edward.

"Forks?" He asked me in a much more upbeat voice than when he was answering Jessica.

"That's the one," I said, putting a forkful of salad in my mouth.

"Well I'm just from around here," Jessica continued, much to my annoyance. I wanted to talk to _Edward._ I just rolled my eyes. After that, Jessica continued to babble on about herself, occasionally inquiring to something about Edward and very rarely asking me anything. Jessica was boring the shit out of me and I was barely listening. I wondered what it was doing to Edward. My question was soon answered. Since I was the last person at the table who was eating, the moment I finished Edward stood up with his garbage in his hand.

"Want me to toss that for you?" Edward asked me. Another gentleman. How rare. Or maybe he was just using it as an excuse to get up and away from Jessica. I shook my head and stood up with him.

"I got it," I replied smiling at him. As we both began walking away from the table together I heard a rush of footsteps coming from behind us. "Brace yourself," I whispered to Edward.

"What?" He asked, looking down at me quizzically. Every time he looked at me it took my breath away. I decided that I wasn't going to answer him though because he would know what I meant in about three seconds. As we took another two steps Jessica bounded to Edward's side with a proud look on her face. She thought she was being cunning and cute. To be honest I thought she was being a moron, as for Edward, it seemed like she was making him bored out of his mind. Tossing out our garbage we all made our way back to the table to find Alice sitting on Jasper's lap. What a little vixen she was. I didn't really notice when that had happened. I was too busy occasionally glancing at Edward when I knew he wasn't looking. When I got back to the table I opted not to sit back down and decided instead that I wanted to leave. Alice looked up to me from Jasper's lap with a confident look on her face.

"What's up?" She asked me in her most carefree voice.

"I think I'm going to go...I'm bored," I told her, slightly nodding my head in Jessica's direction.

"Oh, okay," she said, trying not to laugh. But her face fell a little. I know she wanted me to spend more time with Edward. And so did I. But I couldn't stand Jessica anymore. "Want me to come with you?" She asked. I knew she was hoping I'd say no, and naturally that was my answer.

"Nah," I replied, shaking my head. My hair fell from behind my shoulders and slightly dangled in front of my face. "I'll just go..." I couldn't think of anything to actually do around here. Nothing interesting at least. But we did need some more food because Alice and I hadn't brought nearly enough snacks and ate most of the ones we had when we were on our way here. Perfect. That would give me something to do. Go to the store. I'm sure Alice would let me borrow the Porsche. "Actually. Maybe I'll go shopping. You know we ate most of those snacks on the way here. And we need water."

"Oh, okay. That actually sounds like a good idea. Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" She asked me. But of course I would say no. Why did she bother with me sometimes?

"No Alice. It's alright. I just need to borrow the Porsche, that's all." I tried to make it sound like borrowing her beloved car was something I did frequently. Which it wasn't. I gave her one of my cheesy 'Bella smiles' and batted my eyelashes at her jokingly.

"Fine." She agreed through gritted teeth. "You hurt my baby Bella. You will not make it back to Dartmouth for second semester." Knowing her, that would most likely be a promise she would stick to. I nodded my head intensely to show her how much I understood her seriousness. When she saw that I agreed not to mangle her beloved, she pulled the keys out of her pocket and dropped them into my outstretched hand.

"Wait," I heard Edward say from behind me. I turned around to see that he was looking down at me. "We need some stuff too, and I have my own car. Want to come with me?" He was trying very hard to hide it, but I could tell that he really wanted me to go with him. How could I say no? It's really simple. I couldn't. So I nodded. At a loss for words. Turning back to Alice so I could coherently form a thought, I dropped the Porsche's keys back into her hand and smiled.

"I'll just go with Edward," I said this desperately trying to hide my bliss at the fact that Edward had invited me to go with him.

"Okay, text me later?" She asked me, trying to hide her own happiness for my situation.

"Always do." I replied to her. I then leaned over the chair to kiss her on the top of the head. "Love yah!"

"You too!" She said back to me, blowing me a kiss from her spot on Jasper's lap.

"See you later Jasper," I said to him, waving goodbye. "And Jessica," I began, turning to her. "It was really nice to meet you, I'll see you around." I tried to be as nice as possible to her. But she made it _really _hard for me to be. She was trying way too hard to prove something.

"Yeah...yo – you too," Jessica replied stuttering. I think she was in shock. She obviously wanted to continue her outrageous flirting with Edward but didn't want to invite herself to come shopping with us. And I sincerely hoped she didn't ask because I didn't think I was rude enough to say no. Following my example, Edward said goodbye to Jasper and Alice, and he then turned to Jessica and told her it was nice to meet her and he'd see her soon. She blushed slightly and batted her little eyelashes at him. I decided that I didn't really want to make myself sick by watching them so I just turned back to Alice while Jessica worked her 'moves' on Edward. All of about a minute later Edward's hand grabbed me by the shoulder and tugged me back lightly.

"Ready to go?" He asked me in an impossibly sweet voice as he bent down to be closer to my head. I could feel his warm breath on my ear and it gave me tiny little goose bumps.

"Mmhmm," was the only response I could muster without my voice faltering. I turned away from Alice and Jasper to leave with Edward and noticed that Jessica seemed to be in a bit of a better mood. I just shrugged it off and made my escape. We walked to the exit of Commons and down a flight of stairs in silence, but it wasn't at all awkward. I enjoyed Edward's presence, he made me calmer. Serene. It was weird, but I liked it. Realizing that I needed money before we left I stopped in the middle of the stairs. Edward just turned back to look at me from the bottom.

"What's up?" He asked looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Mind if we go back to my room quick?" I asked him continuing down the stairs.

"A little forward isn't it?" He smiled deviously at me. I didn't know what he was talking about.

"Huh?" I looked at his beautiful face with a confused expression.

"Well Bella, you usually go out on at least one date first before you ask a guy to your room, don't you?" Quickly deciding that I needed to be the new Bella, I tried to come up with something witty to say in return. I tapped my finger on my chin like I was deep in thought and comically looked around the room.

"I suppose most times that's how it works," I replied with my own devious little grin. "But you," I continued, stepping infinitesimally closer to him, and looking up at him through my lashes, "are a rare exception." I couldn't believe how much I was flirting with him, but I couldn't help it. For what seemed like forever, but was only a few seconds, he stared at me with an intense expression. I couldn't really tell what it was. But before I could deduce what exactly it was, he started to softly chuckle. It sounded heavenly.

"I am pretty fucking fantastic aren't I?" Edward finally replied straightening out his shoulders and looking thoughtfully off into the distance. He was pretty funny. I laughed loudly at his response and covered my mouth when he looked down at me. Regaining my composure, I replied.

"If you say so Edward." With that I continued down another flight of stairs back into the tunnel so I could return to my room to get some money.


	4. Interruptions

**A/N: **Okay so this chapter is a lot longer than the others...I couldn't stop writing and I couldn't break it off any earlier. And if anyone is wondering I will be switching POV's...but not just yet. Right now were getting Bella's side of things and then later on I will alternate between her and Edward a lot more. Enjoy : )

**B.P.O.V**

When we were back in my room I heard Edward quietly whistle behind me.

"Your room is so _clean,_" he began, pacing the room. Obviously. Have you met Alice?

"Alice is, to say the least, a neat freak," I replied looking for my purse that I rarely ever used. I pulled it out of my bottom drawer and put my wallet and keys into it and turned back to Edward who was looking at my side of the room, at my cork board. I had put up various pictures of me, Alice, my parents, and even some of old friends back in Forks. Alice had done the exact same thing on her side of the room too. While I was watching him look at my photos, I saw his eyes slightly widen and I wondered what he was looking at. "What?" I asked him, taking a few steps closer. He pointed to the picture of Tyler Crowley and me at Junior Prom. Ugh.

One of the things that I thoroughly regretted from my high school days was the fact that I had begged Alice to help me get Tyler's attention because I thought he was cute. In all honesty, at that point in time I really did like Tyler, but looking back on it now made me almost want to vomit. I still remembered Prom night, being slightly intoxicated from the pre-drink at Alice's mansion of a house, and dancing wildly with Tyler. I spent the entire night throwing myself at him and he generously reciprocated those actions, trying to touch as much of me as he possibly could. Afterwards I had been very easily convinced by Tyler to let him drive me home. But when we had gotten in his van, his teenage hormones took him over.

He began kissing me very softly at first, and then we started to make out...heavily. And before I knew what was happening we were in the back of his van lying down on the seat while he ferociously groped at me. He tried desperately to get my periwinkle blue dress off of me by hastily grabbing at the straps of my dress and tearing them off my shoulders. As he kissed his way down my neck and eventually made his way to my breasts, I began to feel nauseas. And I knew that it wasn't just because I had been drinking. I suddenly realized that I didn't want to lose my virginity that way...to Tyler Crowley of all people. I remembered pushing him off me with a great amount of force and hurling myself out of the van before I vomited in the parking lot. Hearing Tyler say 'gross' from the van made most of my nausea subside because I knew that he wouldn't want to have sex with me after seeing that. And I was right. When I was done throwing up he took me straight home and left without a word. That had been a bad experience. But looking back on high school altogether, Tyler's stunt paled in comparison to what Mike fucking Newton did to me.

"You look amazing in that picture Bella." Edward's heavenly voice brought me abruptly out of my reverie. He thought I looked _amazing _in that picture. He knew exactly what to say to me to make me swoon. Could he read my mind?

"Oh, thanks," I replied to him. Furiously blushing _of course. _"That was Junior Prom."

"Ahh, Junior Prom," Edward mused quietly. "Drunk?" He asked peering down at me, smiling that gorgeous smile.

"Yep," I answered truthfully. He laughed at my response and flopped down onto my bed. He shuffled around until he was on his back and propped himself up on his elbows. He looked at me with an expression I didn't recognize, but it was quickly replaced by a grin.

"Care to join me?" He asked seductively, patting the empty space next to him. He had no idea how badly I just wanted to jump on him right now. How was he having such an effect on me in such a short amount of time? I decided that I really wasn't myself today, but in an odd way it felt like a version of me. I was definitely exhibiting symptoms of the old Bella – the blushing, losing my cool, being a moron. But I was also still holding on to the witty antics of the new Bella. I was a mix of both. I wasn't new Bella or old Bella, I was just...Bella. Since I hadn't responded to his question, and since I was so close to the bed, Edward sat up and grabbed my wrist and yanked me onto the bed with him. I landed hard on his chest and when I pulled my face away to look at him, he had a victorious smile on his face. I looked slightly away from his face down to his chest. I was lying directly on top of him. This couldn't be at all good. I knew that it could very quickly lead to somewhere that I wasn't sure I was entirely ready to go to. And plus, did he think I was a slut? I wasn't going to be _that _easy; I wasn't going to be easy at all. As I began pulling away, Edward placed his hand on the small of my back, and it felt as if I had been electrically shocked. But oddly enough, the tingling felt good. There literally seemed to be some sort of electricity between us, and I really wanted to pursue it; badly. But I knew that I wouldn't be able to just yet.

"Edward," I whispered quietly, giving him the look that said _let me go. _

"What?" He asked sweetly, rubbing my back gently with his hand; his hot breath smothering my face. The combination of his heavenly smell, his mesmerizing voice, and his soft, gentle caresses were sending me into a frenzy. I really needed to get off of him before I did something that I would come to regret. I shifted my body on top of his to try to get off, but Edward was much stronger than me. While I was trying my hardest to free myself from his grip, my hair had fallen from my shoulders onto his face. I couldn't help but giggle. I gently swept my hair away, back onto my shoulders, and in doing so I softly brushed my fingers against his cheek. He must have seen it as a sign of affection because he took the hand that wasn't caressing my back and brought it to my face. He lightly cupped my cheek in his hand and gazed into my eyes with that same look as before. I knew what it was now...lust. I could see it in his eyes how much he wanted me right now, and he had no idea how much I wanted him back. I knew that it was really wrong though, for several reasons:

_One. _I just met Edward. He could be some psycho, sex addict trying to get his next fix.

_Two. _He had been right about the date thing. Before we even considered being intimate I would need that date.

_And three. _I wasn't nearly as ready to have sex for the first time as it seemed.

My train of thought was interrupted when Edward began to lift his face to mine. Oh no...he was going to kiss me. Panicking, I started to pull away, but his firm grip kept me in place. I pulled away again at the last second before his soft lips pressed against my chin. When his lips met my skin my eyes rolled back in my head. He continued to kiss all along my jaw line until he came to the hollow beneath my ear. He then pulled my body closer to his and began making his way down my neck. Stupidly, I tilted my head to allow him better access. I don't know why I did it; it was really fucking stupid though. As he kept kissing me, his hands began to rub against my back more urgently. It seemed like he was trying to press us closer together, but we couldn't _get _any closer together. His movements were so gentle and tender...they were nothing like those of Tyler or Mike. Also opposed to those two morons, Edward made me feel good.

My head was spinning with euphoria. I briefly wondered if this is what it felt like to be high. I wasn't too sure, but I was most definitely on my own little 'Edward high'. He kept planting soft kisses all over my neck and jaw line and I had to try with all my might to suppress the moan that desperately wanted to escape my lips. I thought I had heard something coming from somewhere in the room, but I was too preoccupied that I didn't even register what it was. Temporarily ceasing his kissing, Edward lifted me off of him with great ease and gently put me down on the bed; putting himself on top. But I wasn't panicking like I had been with Mike. Somehow I knew that he wouldn't be the same. That thought made me even more consumed in the moment. Would having sex with him right now be such a bad idea after all? I tried to remember my reasons for holding off, but in the heat of the moment, I couldn't remember them to save my life. When he was hovering over top of me, I assumed it was so he didn't crush me, he began kissing my neck again. And again, my eyes rolled back in my head with pleasure. I greedily brought my hands around his neck and pulled his face closer to me. But I heard that sound again. I continued to ignore it when Edward pulled his face slightly away from my neck.

"Bella," he whispered breathlessly into my neck. I loved it when he said my name. It made me tremble. Not even pausing to think about what I was doing, I slowly lifted my head and kissed his sexy jaw line. When I did, he moaned softly. Why did I do that? This was getting way too intimate. Even though I knew where this was most likely heading, I couldn't bring myself to stop kissing him. But while I was in mid-kiss, I heard another sound. It was coming from the door. My head snapped up and pivoted in the direction of the noise. Was someone knocking? I couldn't really tell. Straining my neck to hear better, Edward took the opportunity and began kissing me again. Didn't he hear that? I gently pushed my hands against his chest and he pulled his face away from me.

"What's wrong?" He asked me quietly in an impossibly sexy voice. Well, several things were wrong. But my main concern was that there was someone on the other side of the door.

"I think someone's here," I whispered back to him. And sure enough when I said this, I heard a key being turned in the lock. "Fuck!" I whispered in a panicked tone. "It's Alice!" I told him this while frantically shoving him off of me. He hastily complied and sat up on my bed while I quickly jumped off and stood up. Awkwardly standing next to the bed, I decided that it would be better to sit. I swiftly pulled out my desk chair and sat down just as Alice opened the door. She walked in with Jasper's arms wrapped around her waist. When she looked up to find me and Edward already in the room her face went red.

"Bella!" She exclaimed, obviously shocked. Jasper immediately released his hold on her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going shopping?" She placed one hand on her hip and looked at me with a serious face. I can only imagine what I looked like. I looked to Edward who was sitting awkwardly on my bed with red, swollen lips. His hair was messier than it had been before, and I could imagine that I looked about the same. I tried to give her my most normal and neutral face.

"We came up to get some cash," I replied, my voice on the verge of cracking. She eyed me sceptically, she knew something was up. It was her sixth sense flaring up again.

"You left Commons twenty minutes ago," she pointed out. Why the fuck was she always so observant? Thankfully Edward cut in to try to help me out.

"I was just admiring Bella's pictures," he began, pointing to the picture of me and Tyler. "And she told me all about her Junior Prom."

"Oh," Alice replied. She still looked at me like she knew something else was up. But I knew she would make me tell her later. "Did Bella tell you how smashed off her face she was?" She asked Edward, laughing.

"Alice!" I yelled at her. "I was not smashed off my face."

"You were too Bella. You _danced _at prom for god's sake. When do you ever dance? Never." She was right, like always. I hated to dance, and not just because sometimes my brief clumsiness got in the way.

"Fine," I replied from my chair, defeated. "I was smashed." I looked over to Edward who was now laughing along with Alice and Jasper. Thankful that the heat was off us, I stood up from the chair and grabbed my purse off the floor where I had dropped it. Edward followed my actions. "Ready?" I asked him. He nodded in return.

"We'll be back later," I told Alice.

"See you after," she replied, sitting on her bed. Jasper joined her. Edward and I left the room and I hastily began walking away. We had been so close to being caught. But it's not like we were making out or anything. There was no _actual _kissing involved at all. When I rounded the final corner to get to the staircase I felt Edward`s hand on my shoulder.

"Wait," he started. I turned around and gazed up into his enticing eyes. "I need some money too." He said this in a _very _suggestive tone. I knew exactly what he meant, and it had nothing to do with money. Although my feet slightly twitched at the idea of going to his room instead, I just stood still.

"Where's your room?" Not saying anything he turned around and walked only about ten paces back before he reached his door. I followed him there but stood my ground when he opened it.

"I'll wait here," I said looking at his eager face waiting in the doorway. I knew he wanted me to go into the room so we could continue where we left off. But after being interrupted by Alice and Jasper, I knew I wasn't ready. His face fell slightly when I said that, but I had to be strong.

"Okay," he mumbled so softly I could barely hear him. And he disappeared into his room. When he returned a minute later he had a sour look plastered on his face. I was immediately concerned but I didn't get a chance to ask him what was wrong because he just headed off to the staircase, not saying a word. I silently followed him down the stairs and to the parking lot, while he too remained silent. Was he honestly mad at the fact that I hadn't allowed myself to go into his room? Surely if I told him my reasons he'd understand. Not noticing that Edward had stopped, I bumped into the back of him extremely hard and fell on my ass. Dear god...my clumsiness consumed me in that moment. Edward turned around and glanced down at my helpless self. A soft smile came to his face, and he bent down on his knees until he was right next to me.

"Are you alright?" He asked me, clearly trying not to laugh. I blushed horribly at my clumsiness and nodded. He kindly stretched out his hand to help me up, and I took it gratefully. When we were standing I brushed off the dirt that was most likely covering my ass, and straightened out my shirt.

"Thanks," I said to him, still blushing.

"Don't mention it," he replied turning around to his car. It was a nice new shiny silver Volvo.

"This is your car?" I asked him. Impressed.

"Well it's no Porsche, but it gets me from A to B," he replied grinning. I laughed quietly and opened the passenger door, and hopped inside. Edward got in too and started the engine. It purred like a kitten; the sound was comfortable and soothing. He quickly accelerated and tore out of the parking garage onto the main road. He drove really fast...faster than Alice. It made me a little nervous, but I trusted him enough to know he wouldn't crash. The grocery store was only about five minutes down the road, and we spent the entire car ride in silence. It was slightly awkward because I could still feel some sort of tension emanating off Edward, but other than that I was content. I did however, need to see what in the hell was wrong with him. When we pulled into the parking lot and he had picked a spot, he turned off the engine and looked over to me. This was my opportunity to say something to him.

"Edward, I think we need to talk." I said to him, nervously picking my nails. "I mean before...what we did..." I didn't really know what to say. I didn't know how to begin.

"I know." He replied still looking at me. "I just don't understand Bella," he continued, shaking his head. "I thought you were enjoying it." I was confused? What was he talking about? Obviously I was enjoying myself. That's why I had to stop it.

"What are you talking about? Yes, Edward, I was enjoying it. That's why I had to stop myself."

"What?" He asked me, looking very confused. "What are _you _talking about? That doesn't make any fucking sense Bella." He needed an explanation.

"Just listen," I began, slightly annoyed that he was mad at me. "I needed to stop myself because if we had continued what we were doing we would have first and foremost been caught doing something that I wouldn't want Alice to find me doing. And second...we just met; I don't really know you Edward. And third, I'm not ready yet." I heavily mumbled the last part of this, but knew he'd still be able to hear me. I was looking down now at the console in between the two seats, still picking my nails nervously. He reached over and put his hand underneath my chin to lift it up. He looked at me with concern in his eyes.

"That's why you stopped?" He asked me, with a more of an upset look coming onto his face. I nodded my head against his hand. "It's okay Bella," he assured me, smiling. "I just couldn't figure out why."

"I'm sorry," I muttered quietly. He cupped my cheek in his hand and softly rubbed it with his thumb.

"Don't apologize, you didn't do anything wrong. I was being an asshole. _I'm _sorry," he said, apologizing to me. I smiled at him and felt much more relaxed.

"You don't have to apologize either. You needed an explanation." I put my hand on his, the one that was caressing my face. I pulled both our hands away and held his, placing them on the console.

"Oh, and by the way..." Edward began, looking down at our hands. "When you said that you weren't ready...I mean. You've never," he broke off clearing his throat. He wanted to know if I had ever had sex. An embarrassing question sure. But I had to tell him the truth. I shook my head.

"No," I replied in a small voice. "Never." He looked up at me a little relieved and a little shocked. "High school boys proved to be manipulative assholes," I added. He gave me a weak smile and I decided that I would ask him if he had ever had sex. I thought I already knew the answer though. "And you...have you ever?" I asked him, staring deeply into his blazing emeralds. He cleared his throat again, and nodded.

"I have," he replied. That was the answer I was expecting so it didn't shock me at all. I nodded my head in response to his answer.

"I figured as much," I said, shrugging. I smiled at him to show him that I was alright with it. Even if I wasn't he couldn't just go hop in the DeLorean with Doc Brown and undo the fact that he had already lost his virginity. He smiled back at me and slowly leaned towards me. He stretched across the console and planted a soft kiss on my cheek. He made me feel so warm and fuzzy on the inside. I loved it.

----

We hadn't spent much time in the grocery store. Neither of us needed very much, just a few little snacks and drinks to keep in our rooms. I had bought some granola bars, cereal, milk, water, yogurt, and Salt and Vinegar chips; mine and Alice's favourite. The entire time we were shopping, Edward had kept me in very close proximity, sometimes brushing his hand against mine like he wanted to hold hands. He truly gave me butterflies, no matter what he did. The car ride back to campus was so much more relaxing now that we had had that talk. I had turned on the radio and had horribly begun singing to a song by Spill Canvas. Edward has his iPod plugged in, and we shared a very similar taste in music. He laughed at me while I belted out my terrible rendition of 'Polygraph, Right Now', but I liked that I could entertain him. He had very graciously offered to carry my bags for me when we were leaving the car, but I told him it wasn't necessary. Ever since we had the talk he had been acting so much more normal and relaxed. In turn, he was being so sweet and gentlemanly. I was thankful that there was no longer any tension between us, and hoped that we could just hang out and talk for a bit.

When we got back to my room, I opened the door cautiously; unsure of what Alice and Jasper would be doing. I hoped she wouldn't put out when she knew the guy for only eight hours, but I didn't want to take any chances. To my surprise though, when I walked in the room, Alice and Jasper were asleep. I chuckled softly to myself so I didn't wake them up. I crept slowly into the room and over to the mini fridge that Alice had brought along with her. I put the milk, water and yogurt in the fridge, and put the other food on my desk. I put my purse down on the desk as well, but grabbed my phone out of it before making my way back to Edward, who was holding the door open for me. While I was closing the door as quietly as possible, I noticed that the T.V I had brought with me was on, and the credits to a movie were rolling on the screen. I laughed softly to myself again. They had probably put on a movie and fallen asleep. Serves them right for being up so early in the morning.

"So..." I said, turning to Edward. I just noticed now because my attention was always too focussed on his face, that he was wearing a leather jacket with a plain grey T-shirt underneath, and jeans to complete it. Although it was a simple outfit, he looked unbelievable in it.

"So..." He repeated, leaning his shoulder against the wall.

"What is there to do around here?" I asked him wondrously. I had no idea, but maybe he knew of something fun to do.

"Well I don't really know. But I do know what we could do. Come on; let's go back to my room." Oh no. Was he going to pull this shit again? Did we not just have this talk?

"Edward..."I began, looking up to him with hurt in my eyes. "I told you before." When I began to explain he shook his head.

"Please, Bella. I'm not that much of an asshole." Shit. Now I'm the asshole, making asshole assumptions. I blushed intensely and told him I was really sorry. He just smiled his heartbreaking crooked smile that momentarily stopped my heart and grabbed my hand from my side. He gently laced his fingers with mine, and began towing me in the direction of his room. His hand in mine felt so _right._ I didn't ever want to let him go. I couldn't – for the life of me – understand the strong connection that Edward and I had, but I didn't really care.

When I walked into Edward and Jasper's room I was astounded. It was really messy. Clothes were everywhere and books were strewn across the floor and tables. How was their room this messy already? They had only been here for three days like everyone else. I shook my head and tried desperately not to laugh. Edward looked at me with a weak smile that was illuminated by the light coming from the window.

"Edward Cullen," I began, shaking my head. His head snapped up to me and he looked shocked. "What?" I asked confused.

"How do you know my last name?" He raised his eyebrow at me.

"Oh," I started. "Jasper told me. I asked him if he had a roommate and he told me he did and that he was from Port Angeles. I asked him your name because I thought that I might know you. Since Forks is the next town over."

"I wondered how the fuck you knew that," he said shaking his head, laughing. He regained his composure quickly and sat down on his bed, the one on the left side of the room. My bed in my room was on the opposite side, so I took a seat on what was Jasper's bed. "What?" Edward asked, looking at me. "I'm not going to bite." He told me grinning. He patted his bed lightly and moved over to the head of the bed. I hesitantly got up and sat down at the foot of his bed, crossing my legs and facing him. He did the same.

"So," he began. "You know my last name. What would yours be?"

"Swan." I replied.

"Bella Swan?" He asked, pondering the sound of it. I nodded.

"Well Bella is short for Isabella," I added.

"Isabella," Edward mused. "I like it," he said decidedly. "I have an idea," he continued. "Let's play twenty questions." That actually sounded like a decent idea. We did need to get to know one another better. What a perfect way for us to do that. "I'll start," he decided.

"How old are you?" Simple question.

"Seventeen...and you?" I replied. My birthday was in nine days. So technically I was almost eighteen.

"Eighteen," he answered.

"When's your birthday?" I continued.

"June twentieth," he answered. "Yours?"

"September thirteenth. So in like nine days."

"Oh really?" He asked me, this clearly wasn't one of the twenty questions. "We'll have to throw you a party then won't we," he asked absently while he went deep into thought.

"No! No...No party," I started. I really didn't like to party that much. And presents and I didn't mix. I hated when people bought me stuff. Except Alice and my parents, but that's only because they forced that stuff on me.

"No fun," Edward said, crossing his arms. I felt bad, so I moved from my cross legged position and went closer to him. He shifted a little so he could make room for me, and I sat next to him, stretching out my legs.

"I'm sorry," I started. "I don't really like birthday parties because I don't like people giving me presents. I'm weird like that." He uncrossed his arms and took off his leather jacket, and threw it on the floor. His T-shirt exposed his muscular arms beautifully and it made my heart race. Why the fuck was he so perfect? He was making it extremely hard for me not to jump on him and start kissing him again. I closed my eyes and breathed in deep. When I opened them, he was staring right at me, with his scorching green eyes.

"Fine," he began in a soft voice. He took his hand and absently brushed a strand of hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. Our skin to skin contact always sent a tiny electric shock through my body. I wondered if he felt it too. "No fucking party...Or how about just no presents?" He was trying to negotiate. I decided that it seemed like a fair deal. I'd just spend the entire party with him and Alice and Jasper anyways. It's not like I knew anyone else. I nodded slowly and he smiled victoriously. Keeping his hand next to my face and playing with a strand of my hair, he continued.

"So In Forks do you live with your parents? Any siblings?" That was technically two questions but I wasn't going to say anything.

"Nope. No siblings," I began staring into his eyes. "And I live with my dad, Charlie. He's the chief of police in Forks." I said this rolling my eyes. My dad was always so protective of me, especially since he was a cop.

"Oh," Edward replied. He pulled his hand away from my face and brought it to his lap. He looked nervous. "Um...what about your...what about your mom?" He asked his voice slightly shaky. Maybe he thought she was dead or something because he seemed like he didn't even want to ask me that question.

"She lives in Phoenix," I assured him. He instantly was relieved of his tension. "My parents got divorced three years ago. My mom hated Forks and her and my dad weren't really getting along anymore. They fought all the time and by the end of their marriage my dad had been sleeping on the couch." I told him this while looking down at my hands. "When my mom finally decided to divorce him it wasn't really a shock, but it broke my dad's heart. I couldn't bear to leave him like that and my mom had been getting on my nerves too, so I decided to stay. I like Forks actually; I've gotten really used to it. And besides I couldn't leave Alice either." I laughed a bit as I said this. I wonder what she would have done if I would have gone back to Phoenix with Renee? She most likely would have gone with me knowing her. He softly chuckled with me and took one of my hands in his. He began gently rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb and I just looked up at him with a satisfied smile on my face.

"I'm really sorry about your parents," he said quietly while he rubbed my hand.

"It's okay Edward. Really. My dad's happy as ever and my mom remarried last summer." I remembered her wedding. Alice and I had gone to Phoenix to be there. I was my mom's maid of honour because she begged me to be, and I couldn't say no. But I didn't really want to be there. I only did it to make her happy. Once the wedding was over and my mom and Phil had left for their honeymoon to Mexico I felt bitter. Witnessing my mom remarry someone else was like a slap across the face for me. I don't know why I felt like that, but I assumed that it was because I was being so protective of Charlie. I had only talked to my mom a few times since the summer, since she had been back from her honeymoon, and I hadn't seen her at all since the wedding. Looking down at mine and Edward's hands intertwined I asked him a similar question.

"So do you live with your parents? Do you have any brothers or sisters?" I asked him, now turning my gaze to his face.

"Yeah, I live with my mom and dad in Port Angeles. And my brother Emmett," he answered smiling at me. "My dad's this big time hot shot doctor who everyone loves. And he remarried to my mom Esme before I was born." _What? _I thought to myself. So his dad remarried someone else before Edward's mom gave birth to him? What an asshole.

"What?" I asked him cocking my head in confusion. "So your dad divorced your mom and remarried your new mom before you were born?"

"Oh no. No," he said this fiercely shaking his head. "Sorry," he said laughing. "I'm adopted."

"Oh...okay, that makes more sense," I said this, giving him a weak smile.

"Yeah, my birth father had died in a car accident a few months before I was born, and my mother was only nineteen when she gave birth to me. I guess she couldn't handle the responsibility of a child so she gave me up. Carlisle told me this story once a few years ago. He's my adoptive father. I was born in Chicago and at the time Carlisle was an OBGYN there. Esme had just given birth to Emmett about two years earlier and had wanted another child. They decided that they would rather adopt because Carlisle was soft like that and wanted to give some unfortunate kid a good life." He said this shaking his head. He spoke about Carlisle with a great amount of respect in his voice. I could tell that he loved him. "Fortunately for me, Carlisle was the one who delivered me. He felt so bad for my mother and knew that I would most likely be put into foster care if I didn't find a home to go to. So he consulted Esme to make sure that she wanted another boy, and I've been with them ever since. They're all I've ever known. They're my family. I don't call them Esme and Carlisle...they're mom and dad." He finished with a shrug. He was on the verge of making me cry.

"Edward," I began, severely at a loss for words. What was I supposed to say to that? I moved my free hand to his arm and began to gently rub it, soothingly. "I'm so sorry," I apologized because I felt bad for his situation.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said shaking his head. "I couldn't have asked for a better fucking life. They treat me just as well as Emmett, sometimes better because I'm younger," he said this as a playful smile came onto his face. "Actually Emmett goes to Dartmouth too, but he's not in this building. And he's dating our floor manager Rosalie," he added. Wow, Edward's brother was dating _her_. I wondered what he looked like to get a girl like Rosalie. I continued to affectionately rub his arm and he continued to gently trace circles on the back of my hand.

"Well as long as you're happy," I told him, smiling. He smiled back, and brought his free hand to my face.

"You," he began, staring intensely into my eyes, "are so beautiful." Oh my god. My cheeks instantly stained dark pink. He called me _beautiful. _Nobody had ever called me that before, with the exception of my parents, and that didn't count. "And," he continued, "I love when you do that." He said this while brushing his thumb against my rosy cheeks. If it was possible, I think I blushed even more when he said that. I cleared my throat and looked down, but he pulled my chin up so that I was looking at him again. He gently caressed the side of my face and began to lean down towards me. I wasn't panicking though. I knew that he was probably going to kiss me and I was one hundred percent calm. So I was a little disappointed when he only kissed me on the cheek.

Quickly, I decided that I would kiss his cheek back, so I did.

He then kissed my cheek again, moving his mouth ever so closer to mine.

I did the same.

When his mouth was on my cheek just millimetres away from my mouth he pulled away ever so slightly, and affectionately rubbed his nose against mine. I instinctively brought my hand up from his arm and wrapped it around his neck, to bring myself closer to him. And without thinking, I pressed my lips gently against his.

His hand instantly entangled itself in my hair and pushed my face impossibly closer to his. Having wanted to have done that to him from the first moment I saw him, I ran my fingers through his gorgeous bronze hair. Parting his lips slightly, he ran his tongue along my bottom lip, which immediately forced my lips to part as well. He stuck his tongue into my mouth and I had to admit that he tasted really good. I tilted my head so I could deepen our kiss and when I did, a soft little moan escaped my traitor lips. He quite obviously heard this and moved the hand that had been holding mine and brought it to my hip. He started to gently caress me while our lips moved in unison with one another, and all the while my head was spinning. We were in our own little world and I wasn't focussing on anything but kissing him right now. I wasn't thinking of the consequences or where it might lead; I was just thinking about his tongue being in my mouth, and that was all. Since I evidently had no self control today, I unthinkingly propped myself up on the bed, still in a lip lock with Edward, and began to get onto my knees. He shifted on the bed ever so slightly, and without pausing I threw my left leg over his waist and straddled him. He wrapped one arm around my back and held me in place while he sat up more. In doing so he broke our kiss momentarily, but he continued it when he brought his lips to my neck. I closed my eyes in pleasure while I ran both my hands through his soft hair roughly, he didn't seem to mind it one bit.

What was I doing? I was acting so out of character that I was almost having an out of body experience. But I could justify my actions because this felt _nothing _like the time with Mike. Edward was caring and considerate. And he wasn't rough and jarring. And besides, he was a much better kisser than Mike. The hand that was on my back was becoming more and more urgent as he continued to kiss all along my neck. Before I knew it, he had slid his hand underneath my shirt and began gently rubbing his hand up and down my spine, leaving a blazing trail wherever his fingers met my skin. I moaned softly again as he continued to kiss every inch of my neck. I grabbed a fistful of his hair in my raging passion and gently pulled his face away from my neck and urgently pressed my lips to his again. I had a sudden burning desire to kiss him again and for absolutely no other reason than just the fact that I wanted to. He kissed me back more roughly this time, not hesitating to be gentle like before. He continued to tenderly massage my tongue with his in gentle but quick movements. He was, without a doubt, the best fucking kisser in the world. Although I didn't have much basis for comparison – only Tyler Crowley and Mike Newton – I thought it was pretty safe to say that he was the best. We continued to make out like that for several more minutes, how many exactly I wasn't sure. I began to feel uneasy when Edward's hands started to subtly lift up my shirt. I barely felt it move because I was so consumed in our passionate kiss, but when he moved it up further I felt the cold air on my bare back. I broke our kiss and put my face into his neck.

"Edward," I breathed into his neck, trying to steady myself. He kissed the small spot beneath my ear and took my earlobe in between his teeth. He nibbled on it for a few seconds before releasing it and responding to me. He brought one hand to my neck and pulled my face away from his. He gazed at me with swollen lips and lust-filled eyes.

"Bella," he whispered breathlessly. "Please," he begged me, enticing me with his penetrating stare. Little did he know that he wanted this just as much as I did. How was I supposed to say no to him? Well to be fair I had learned more about him, he wasn't really a stranger anymore. And he was obviously nice and sweet and fantastic and amazing in every way possible. I honestly had no will power _at all _today. None whatsoever. Breaking his gaze, I removed a very shaky hand from his hair and moved it down to the hem of his shirt. I was really going to go through with this. Me and all my stupidity. I gently tugged it upwards until most of his lower torso was revealed. Of course his stomach was just as perfect as the rest of him, and it took my heart a minute to restart at the sight of his flawless six pack. Helping my shaky hand, Edward brought both his hands from around my back and pulled his shirt over his head and threw it carelessly on the ground. If he looked like a Greek god before, I couldn't even describe what he looked like with his shirt off. The sight of him made me tremble, and it made me want him so much more. Next, he brought his hands back around to the hem of my shirt and he slowly began to pull it upwards. He hesitated when the shirt reached my breasts and I had my eyes closed to steady my shaking. I slowly raised my arms so he could pull the shirt over my head, but before I could raise them high enough I felt a vibration coming from my pocket.

I opened my eyes and looked down to my pocket. Edward had stopped removing my shirt because he felt the vibrating too. I leant back a tiny bit to take my phone out, and looked at the caller ID. It was fucking Alice. Why wouldn't it be her? On one level I was thanking god that she had interrupted us yet again, but at the same time I was cursing her because on one very tiny level I thought I was ready. I wasn't sure what in the hell I was doing right now. But all of a sudden the Mike Newton incident was no longer bothering me all that much. Sex really didn't seem like that big of a deal. Edward was different.

"What is she fucking psychic?" I yelled, at no one in particular. Edward just softly laughed and lied down, while I still straddled him. I flipped open the phone and put it to my ear.

"Hello?" I answered, sounding pretty annoyed.

"Hey!" Alice replied, sounding like her usual upbeat self. "Where are you?" She then asked.

"Um," I began. How bad would it sound if I said I was with Edward in his room. _We'll see, _I thought to myself. "I'm with Edward," I told her. Leaving out the part about us being alone in his room.

"Oh!" She squealed, obviously happy for me. "Where are you guys?" Damn. I was hoping she wouldn't ask me that.

"We're uh...in his room," I replied to her nervously.

"What!?" She yelled at me. This had to be by _far _the highest-pitched I had ever heard Alice go. Even Edward heard her yell and looked at me with an amused expression. I jokingly smacked his bare chest, and he grabbed my hand and held it gently.

"Yeah, we're in his room," I replied, almost laughing. But she didn't respond to me, and a few seconds later, I heard the dial tone. "Fuck!" I replied, hanging up the phone.

"What?" Edward asked me, playing with my fingers.

"She hung up! She's probably coming here!" I was using a very high-pitched Bella voice. I rarely ever made my voice go that high, but this was an exception. I hastily jumped off of Edward and threw him his shirt. "On," I grumbled at him, straightening my own shirt out and patting down my hair. He sat up in his bed and put on his shirt at a normal pace which made me want to go over and hit him. Did he not hear what I said? Alice was probably coming over here. _Now_. I quickly spun myself around to look at Jasper and Edward's desks. Above Jasper's desk was a television and a DVD player. I darted over to it and grabbed the remote off of Jasper's desk. I scanned his movies that were also scattered on the desk and picked out 'Happy Gilmore'. Apparently Jasper was an Adam Sandler fan. As quickly as my shaky hands would let me, I opened the DVD tray and popped the movie in. I then turned on the T.V and rushed back over to Edward who was watching me amusedly from his bed. I'm glad he though this was all so funny.

"You know, I'm glad you think this is all so fucking hilarious," I spat at him when I bounded onto his bed. He caught me while I was climbing over him and held me firmly on his lap.

"Calm down Bella," He told me, loudly. He wasn't yelling at me, but he was trying to get me to stop being so crazy and shaky. I was nervous about Alice finding us in the same situation as earlier. I hated to think of what _she _would think if she found us like that again. I nodded my head and closed my eyes when I felt his hand come to my face. I opened them when I had sufficiently calmed down and bent my head down slightly to kiss him on the lips.

"I'm calm," I replied, pulling away from him. Instantaneous with my reply, a loud rap came from the door. I jumped off of Edward's lap and grabbed the remote off the bed, turning to the T.V. I cleverly went to scene selection and picked a scene from the middle and hit play. I tossed the remote down and went over to the door and opened it. Alice was standing angrily on the other side of the door with Jasper standing confusedly behind her.

"What's up?" I asked her in a semi-breathless voice. She stared at me with intense eyes and walked into the room.

"What are you guys doing?" She asked like she expected us to be naked and holding sheets around us to cover ourselves up.

"Watching a movie...I hope you don't mind Jasper." I said, turning to Jasper. He just waved his hand to show me he didn't mind at all.

"Oh," Alice replied, looking over to Edward who was watching the movie, apparently not paying attention to us. "Well why didn't you come back to the room?" She asked.

"I did, but you two were sleeping," I replied to her, laughing. "I bought some stuff and dropped it off in the room. We didn't want to wake you, so Edward suggested coming back here and watching a movie." I fibbed to her in my most convincing voice. I would tell her the whole truth later...well maybe not the whole truth. I would probably leave out the part about Edward's shirt being on the floor and my shirt nearly being taken off as well. She didn't need that little bit of information. She looked back to me and I noticed that her angry face had turned into a defeated face. She had hoped she would have caught me doing something indecent, but I wasn't going to let her do that.

"Oh," she replied. Obviously buying the whole charade. I internally praised myself for being so quick on my feet today. "Well do you guys want to go get some food? It's almost five," she noted. Five o'clock? Where had the time gone? The last time I saw it, it was 3:30, when we had gotten back from shopping. Edward and I had been in here for over an hour. I thought about the idea for a minute, and when my stomach growled slightly, I nodded my head.

"Sure. I'm pretty hungry," I replied to her. It was all that making out and rolling around on beds that was making me so hungry. I walked over to Edward's bed and sat down. He was looking at the T.V and trying really hard not to laugh. "Want to come?" I asked him. He turned his gaze on me and my favourite crooked smile came across his face.

"Fuck yes," he replied, sitting up. "I'm starving."


	5. Disappointment and Disbelief

**A/N: **Thanks so much to those who have reviewed so far : ) you make me all warm and fuzzy inside. So here's another chapter. I have quite a few already written so I'll be updating pretty frequently until I have to write new chapters. And here you get some of my Edward-y goodness. Enjoy!

**B.P.O.V**

We went back to Commons, where Edward and I had officially met only about six hours ago, and sat at the same table as before. The four of us were sitting at the table eating and chatting contentedly about how excited we were for school to start in the morning. I realized that I didn't even know what program Edward was in, and that made me instantly grateful for Alice interrupting us before. I didn't know as much about him as I would have liked. When Alice left the table with Jasper to go get dessert, Edward and I began our own conversation about before.

"So," Edward began, taking a bite of pizza.

"What is wrong with us?" I asked him, taking a sip of my apple juice. He looked up at me and shook his head.

"I can't help it Bella," he replied, moving his chair closer to me. "But I really hope I didn't make you do something you didn't want to do." He was so fucking sweet to me.

"Edward, you didn't," I said putting my hand on his hand that was rested on the table. "I think it was more than obvious that I wanted it too," I admitted this while fiercely blushing. He brought his other hand up to my cheek and brushed his thumb against my hot face.

"Why do you always do that?" he asked me quietly. I shrugged at his question.

"That's just the effect you have on me," I replied equally as quiet. I heard him snort a tiny bit, but he quickly took his hand away from my face. I heard obnoxious heels clacking across the floor and turned my head away from Edward to see where it was coming from. I saw Jessica standing a few feet away from our table in an impossibly short black skirt, a tight grey shirt that revealed _a lot _of her cleavage, and black high heels. She had her hair straight as a board and pulled it all over one shoulder so it fell against her chest. Her face, which hadn't been wearing any before, was now plastered with make-up. She looked like she was ready for the runway. My mouth fell slack when I saw her and she strutted the rest of the way to the table, clearly trying to impress Edward. She sat down right beside him and greeted both of us.

"Hey Jess," I said to her, trying to pretend like she didn't whore herself out for Edward's sake.

"Hey Bella," she enthusiastically replied. "How's it going?"

"Um, good...you?" I asked, while looking over at Edward. He was staring at Jessica with a look on his face that I couldn't quite understand. Either way, he was staring at her. And it was making me uncomfortable. I took my hand off of Edward's and placed it in my lap; he then turned his attention to me. I just glared at him with a hurt look in my eyes. I thought he liked me? But clearly his feelings could be influenced by skanks named Jessica. Maybe he was more like Mike than I thought. He looked at me with his dazzling eyes, but before I allowed myself to be swayed by his looks I turned away from him and continued to eat my stir fry.

"Good thanks," Jessica said. I had completely forgotten that I had asked her a question. Whatever. It's not like I cared what she said anyway. "So, Edward," she began; now looking at him with her smoky blue eyes. Damn she looked really good. I hoped Edward could resist her. And if he couldn't, than he was a fucking bastard. "What did you do today?" Before he answered though, Edward stealthily grabbed the hand that was on my lap, and held it under the table. My heart swelled so much that I felt like it was going to burst. He wasn't like Newton...at all. I tried my hardest, but I couldn't help the smile that was coming onto my face. He did like me. But I couldn't help the fact that he still looked at other girls. We weren't even in a relationship. We had just met for god's sake. Why was I being so controlled by my emotions?

"I spent the afternoon with Bella," Edward replied squeezing my hand gently.

"Oh, like you guys went shopping?" She asked him curiously while she opened her pasta and began eating it.

"Yeah. And we watched a movie and hung out," Edward added. Jessica looked up from her meal and glared fucking daggers at me. Holy shit, she was pissed. She was so jealous of me it wasn't even funny.

"Oh," she replied through her teeth, still glaring at me. "That sounds like fun," she continued, trying to sound like she wasn't utterly furious at the fact that Edward and I had spent the afternoon together. If she had only known what we were _actually _doing, her fucking head would have exploded right then and there. "Um," Jessica then said, turning her attention to Edward. "Would you mind if we hung out and watched a movie sometime?" She was asking Edward to hang out with her. I didn't really know what his answer would be. Saying no to her would probably seem a bit rude, but if he said yes to her, I knew she'd work her slutty moves on him even more when they were alone. Unfortunately there was nothing I could do about that.

"Oh, you mean just you and me?" Edward replied to her, squeezing my hand so hard that it hurt. He seemed to be taken aback by her question and it seemed like he didn't know what to say to her either. But I knew he wasn't an asshole and would probably say yes.

"Yeah, you and me," Jessica replied hopefully. Edward continued to grasp my hand firmly as he replied.

"Uh, sure. I guess that would be alright," he replied to her. I knew he wouldn't say no. But I hated to think of what she would try with him when they were alone. I shuddered at the thought of them alone in his room where we had been. On his bed.

"Okay!" Jessica squealed excitedly. "How about we hang out after dinner?" She asked him confidently. She wanted to do this tonight? I was hoping to spend more time with Edward myself but I guess I couldn't be greedy. I'd just spend the rest of the night explaining my day to Alice and nervously pacing my room wondering what the hell Edward and the skank were doing. In defeat, I slowly began to release Edward's hand, but he wouldn't let me go. He was showing me that he preferred me to Jessica, but it still didn't help to make me any less jealous or any less upset. I'd just have to deal with this my own way. Suffer in silence.

"Alright," Edward replied to her. "That sounds good to me."

When Edward had finished answering her Alice and Jasper returned with their dessert; Jell-O. They say back down and started casually conversing with the newest member to the table, and the one that I was rapidly beginning to dislike. As Jessica annoyingly laughed at something that Jasper had said, I decided that I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to leave the table immediately before I went over to Jessica and ripped her stupid brown hair right out of her head. I released Edward's hand from mine and he looked over to me when I did it. I just ignored him and stood up, taking my garbage with me. I still wasn't ready to leave Edward for the night, but I needed to get away for a few minutes, so I decided to go get some Jell-O too. I walked away from the table, not looking back, and threw my garbage away. I then continued on to where they had many varieties of Jell-O and stood there for a few minutes, aimlessly browsing the different flavours. I jumped at the electricity of Edward's hand touching my hand, but I didn't turn around. I still needed to figure out how I was going to handle the fact that he was going to be hanging out with Jessica for the rest of the night.

"Bella," he began, gripping my hand more firmly. "I'm...I didn't know what to say. I didn't think she'd..." he broke off clearing his throat. He was really nervous. It was strange. I turned to look at his tortured face and sickly enough, I felt better. He _really _didn't want to hang out alone with Jessica, and that made me feel one hundred percent better. And he really did like me. I could see it in his hurt face and his saddened eyes. But that still didn't mean...

"Edward stop," I told him, staring into his burning eyes. "It's okay. I know...I was shocked when she asked you that. But I know that she'd just keep asking you if you said no anyways. Better to get it over with now, than hang out with her later? Or do you think that Jessica is someone that you might want to pursue something with?" I had to ask him. Because I honestly didn't know what he was thinking?

"Are you fucking high?" Edward asked me seriously. His emeralds were blazing with anger now. I obviously wasn't right...at least I didn't think so.

"No? Not to my recollection," I answered him, a little apologetic.

"Well you must be. Because why on earth would you ever think that I would want to start up something with her?" He replied to me, annoyed.

"I don't know Edward!" I sort of yelled. "I don't know what you're thinking. But that skank clearly has it in her mind that you are something that she is going to get!" I snapped furiously. I couldn't hold my feelings back. I didn't _want _him to be with her alone. I didn't _want _him to leave me soon. And I didn't _want _him to be with anyone else. Edward saw my anger and released my hand. But he moved it instead to my face, bringing his other hand up as well until my face was in between both of his hands. He stared at me intensely.

"Listen," he replied, trying to be as heartfelt as possible. "I don't have any feelings for Jessica, okay?" When I heard him say this I instantly calmed down. I nodded my face between his hands. "And I just told her yes so she would stop bothering me." Again I just nodded my head. "And she is not going to get me with some slutty outfit like that," he finished, staring deeply into my eyes. "The attraction I have for you shamelessly outshines the attraction that I have for Jessica. Which is next to nothing." I nodded again, but this time more reluctantly. I knew he was attracted to her on some level. But I couldn't do anything about that. Interrupting my conclusion, Edward slowly bent his face down towards mine and gently kissed me on the lips. I froze. He was kissing me in public! In front of everyone. What if Alice or Jasper or Jessica came by? Was he not thinking? I hastily pulled away and he released my face from his hands. I put my hands to my mouth.

"Edward!" I yelled at him in a hushed tone as I looked around the room. He understood what I meant and gave me a '_whoops, my bad' _type of face. I couldn't help but laugh at him because of his lack of awareness. I grabbed the raspberry Jell-O I had been eying before off the shelf and he did the same. We went to the cash register and Edward snatched my Jell-O out of my hand before I even knew what was happening. He paid for mine, like the fucking adorable sweetheart that he was. I didn't really like when other people paid for things for me, but I supposed I would let him suck up to me for leaving for the rest of the night. I gave him a bright smile before we turned to walk back to the table.

"Oh, by the way," he began. "Before I forget. What's your number?" I hadn't even thought about that. I could text him later on. "You know, so I can call you later or something." The butterflies rapidly fluttered around my stomach. When we stopped at the condiment cart to grab spoons, we both pulled our phones out and exchanged numbers. "Great," Edward said to me with that amazing smile. I just stared at him like a complete moron and smiled back. "I'll probably text you later when I'm with her," he added, pointing towards Jessica. "Because I will most likely be bored out of my fucking mind." I laughed loudly at his remark and quickly covered my mouth because I felt bad. Jessica was trying really hard. But it wasn't Edward's fault that he didn't like her that way. We made our way back over to the table and sat down beside each other. I wanted to be as close to him as I could with the limited amount of time we had left together tonight. But I didn't want to be holding hands with him or touching him in any way in front of Jessica. She would go nuts, and hunt me down, and rip me into little pieces.

We tried to prolong our time together as much as possible, but Jessica was more than eager to get out of there and be on her merry way with Edward. I sulked to myself when Edward and Jessica both stood up and said goodbye, but I tried to put on my best smile and acted like everything was alright. Alice of course was in tune with my feelings because she was closer than a sibling to me, and she immediately came to my side when they were out of earshot.

"Bella," she began, wrapping her little arms around my shoulders. "Are you okay?" She asked me concernedly, her little brown eyes saddened. Seeing Alice upset just made me more upset.

"I'm fine Alice, really." I assured her, trying to give her a convincing smile. But it didn't work. She knew me too well, and knew that I was truly upset.

"No you aren't," she accused me; staring deeply into my eyes with a look that told me we needed to have one of our famous Alice-Bella heart to hearts. I agreed, but it was still early, and I wasn't sure what she had planned with Jasper.

"You're right," I admitted to her, crushed. It felt like my stomach had fallen out of my body and all that was left was a big, hollow shell of nothingness. I wanted to cry and scream and swear and get angry. But I knew that none of this would help me one bit. So I just sat there, void of any emotion whatsoever, and stared down at my empty Jell-O container.

"Told you," she stubbornly grumbled at me. "Well I think we should just go back to our room and have a girl's night. What do you think?" She asked me with her most comforting 'Alice smile' coming across her face. I smiled feebly back at her, but knew that she'd probably want to do something with Jasper. I wouldn't let her night get ruined like mine had.

"Well what about Jasper?" I asked her. "Don't you two have plans?" Alice's face fell and she nodded slowly.

"We do, but I'm sure he'll understand," she replied. She then turned to Jasper. "Do you mind if we go out on our date tomorrow night?"

"No!" I protested. "No, Alice. It's fine. Just you two go out and we'll talk later. I promise." I really couldn't bear to ruin her night. She seemed to genuinely like him, which is something sort of rare with Alice. The only actual _boyfriend _I ever remembered Alice having was Ben Cheney. She had been absolutely head over heels for Ben when we were sophomores and dated him for almost a year. They had broken up when Alice had found out that Ben had cheated on her with this girl in our year Angela. I had never seen Alice cry so much in my life because she loved him, and he took her heart and threw it out the fucking window. So I wasn't about to let my stupid angst-ridden mood stand in the way of Alice being with someone that she could truly love again.

"Bella," she replied to me like the stubborn little thing that she was. But this time she wasn't going to make me change my mind.

"No Alice," I continued to protest, staring at her intensely. We could easily have conversations without speaking because we could read each others faces like open books. She knew what I was trying to tell her and claimed defeat.

"Fine," she finally agreed. Although I knew that she wanted to be with me and comfort me, I wasn't going to let her.

"Thank you," I told her, smiling wider now. I felt better knowing that I was doing something to help her out. "Okay, well I think I'm just going to go back to the room and...do nothing," I added, laughing a bit to myself. I didn't know what I was going to do. Just sit there and sulk, waiting for Edward to text me. I stood up from the table and gave Alice a hug because she stood up with me. I told her that I would be fine, and she reluctantly agreed to my statement. I then said bye to Jasper and told them to have fun. I knew Alice would thank me for this later, even if she was sulking now. I left Commons and went back into Berry, knowing that I would have to pass Edward's room on the way back.

When I was passing his room I didn't even let my eyes land on the door, I kept them forward and I kept my feet moving so that I could get securely into my own room with the only bit of sanity I had left.

**E.P.O.V**

When I was opening the door I could hear Jessica buzzing excitedly behind me. I couldn't believe I had actually agreed to this. I had given up an entire night with Bella to spend it with her. Although I already had such unusually strong feelings for Bella, I couldn't help my eyes from momentarily wandering to Jessica's revealed chest or her long, bare legs. I always shook my head to clear my thoughts and focussed them on something else. But they always made their way back there. Even though Bella and I technically weren't anything...I mean we barely knew each other, I still felt horrible for looking at Jessica like that when I knew that Bella liked me, and I liked her back. Trying to keep my head clear, I walked into my room and went over to my desk chair to sit down. I didn't want to be on the bed with Jessica; that would just be too much fucking temptation that I wasn't entirely sure I could handle. Jessica naturally took a spot on what she assumed was my bed, which was the correct assumption on her part. She crossed her long, shiny legs while her long light brown hair dangled on her chest.

I shook my head fiercely and stood up. I went to Jasper's desk and started to browse his poor movie selection. He had a number of classic Adam Sandler movies along with all of the 'American Pie' movies and a couple of other movies that were probably his favourites. I turned on the lamp that was on Jasper's desk which made the room much brighter. The light coming from the window was almost gone and I didn't think being in the dark would help my situation much. I spun around and found that Jessica was now lying down on my bed, propped up on her elbows, her over- exposed chest rising and falling with every breath she took. She had her legs stretched out on the bed with one ankle over the other and looked at me seductively. I could tell that she thought something was going to happen here. She seemed like the slutty type of girl, and I had once known that girl all too well.

"So," I began, looking away from her and to the floor. "What do you want to watch?"

"Well what is there?" She asked me, getting off the bed slowly. She came to stand by my side and casually brushed her arm against mine. I didn't feel the same other-worldly electricity that I felt when I touched Bella. When I touched her it was like a thousand tiny lightning bolts were being shot through the place on my body that was touching her. But it felt amazing, euphoric. When Jessica's arm touched me though it was normal. Mundane. There was nothing special or significant about it. I sighed heavily at how much I wished I was with Bella, and my fingers twitched at the thought of grabbing my phone and texting her right now. But I would wait until later, when I was really bored.

"American Pie, Billy Madison, Big Daddy," I began listing off the different movies that Jasper had. Jessica picked up the first American Pie and turned it over in her hands.

"Let's watch this," she decided, handing me the DVD. Of course she picks the movie that has the sexual innuendos and the profanity. Like that would help my situation either. I put the movie reluctantly into the DVD player and turned the T.V on. I went over to my bed and sat awkwardly on it, not sitting with my head anywhere near the pillow. She would most likely make some sort of move to let me know that she wanted sex, but I couldn't let myself get dragged into it. No matter what. When I was seated, she walked back over to my bed and bent down to take her heels off. She then made her best attempt at turning me on when she slowly climbed over me, her unbelievably short skirt revealing her frilly red panties. I closed my eyes tight and turned my head to the ceiling. _She is not going to get me with some slutty outfit like that _I repeated to myself. The words I had told Bella only an hour ago rang in my ears. When she had finally finished her seductive crawl, I brought my head back down and immediately made my centre of attention the T.V. I picked the remote up off the bed, where Bella had left it before, and hit play.

About five minutes into the movie I heard quiet footsteps in the hall and briefly wondered if it was Bella. But of course there was no way of knowing that. I fucking couldn't stop thinking about her. Since the moment I left with Jessica, she was my only thought. Even when I looked at Jessica and felt bad, it was because of her. When I had seen her last night at the floor meeting my heart had just...stopped. I had noticed her from the very moment I walked in the room. She had been wearing a black long sleeved shirt and a light grey skirt that revealed her sexy legs. She was standing next to one of the couches where Alice had been sitting. Her beautiful long brown hair was pulled back into a pony tail, but the end of it was hanging down onto her chest. At first she wasn't looking at me, but I was stupidly staring at her for the longest time; I didn't really pay attention to what Rosalie was even saying. When she shook her head at Alice towards the end of the meeting and looked up to find me staring at her, I couldn't make my eyes look away. Her large stunning chocolate brown eyes were breathtaking. Only looking at me for a brief moment, she looked away. I assume now because she had started blushing, like she always did. But I had felt severely embarrassed for her catching me looking at her and decided it would be a good idea to get the fuck out of there. Thinking about Bella was making me pissed off. Because I wasn't with her. And I couldn't feel her unusual electricity. All I could feel was boredom, sinking into every inch of my body, because I was with Jessica.

"Edward," Jessica said, snapping me out of my lengthy daze. I looked down at her. She was uncomfortably sitting beside me with crossed arms. "I'm bored." No shit. So am I.

"Okay, well then what would you prefer to do?" I asked her. I really hoped that she wouldn't want to go out on a date or some stupid shit like that. I didn't want to take her out. But to my fucking utter disbelief and surprise, she dropped her hand to my stomach and began tracing circles on my shirt with her finger. My heart sank. She didn't want me to take her out. She wanted me to have sex with her.

"Well I can think of a few things," she proposed, looking up at me through her lashes. I remembered when Bella did that to me in Commons my lungs literally gave out. I didn't breathe for a good minute because she looked so fucking sexy. But Jessica's eyes paled in comparison to Bella's.

"Um," I said, shifting uncomfortably, "and what would those few things be?" I asked her, while her hand moved down to my belt ever so slowly. Oh fuck me. Was she really going to just undo my belt and violate me? I assumed that she was because she continued with her ridiculous venture down to my belt buckle and slowly began to undo it. "Whoa, Jess," I said to her, putting my hand on hers.

"What?" She asked me sitting up, not releasing her hold on my belt buckle.

"What are you doing?" I asked her, wondering what she would say in response.

"You can't tell me you don't want this Edward," she replied, looking at me with an eager face. She was absolutely right. I did want it. I wanted it so bad that it wasn't even funny. But not from her. I wanted _Bella. _I needed _Bella. _But I knew that Bella wasn't ready for something like that, and I also knew that I could wait for her. Because I had decided that's what I wanted – because I wasn't an asshole. I shook my head at Jessica's assumption. "You mean you don't want this?" Jessica asked me raising her voice. When she posed her question she tightened her grip on my belt buckle.

"Yes," I replied to her. Wait...did I mean no? I have no fucking idea. The point was _no, I don't want sex from you. _And the answer to her question was _yes, I don't want this. _When I replied to her she smiled and slapped my hand away from my belt. It really fucking hurt too. And she had definitely gotten the wrong idea. She continued to undo my belt buckle and I started to panic. My hand was still throbbing and she was getting onto her knees now. My belt was undone, and so was the button on my jeans. Panic. She undid my zipper and I took my hand to prevent hers from sliding into my pants. She was now on her knees and was trying to make her way on to my lap. But with that short skirt and my fucking stupid teenage hormones beginning to flare, I wasn't letting her get near my undone pants. I tried to slide off the bed, but before my body fell onto the floor, she made sure she came with me. I landed with my back on the floor and she landed square on top of me. The fall had brutally hurt my head, and it instantly started to throb. Clenching my eyes shut in pain, I brought my hand to the back of my head and slowly began to rub it better. While I was in a massive amount of pain, Jessica had taken it upon herself to go on with her slutty rampage and she tried with all her might to pull down my jeans.

"Stop!" I growled at her, through gritted teeth.

"But you told me that you wanted it. Don't contradict yourself Edward," she replied to me while she still tried to pull my pants off. Now I was just getting pissed off because my head hurt and she was getting on my nerves.

"I didn't fucking say that," I snapped at her. "When I said yes to you, I meant 'yes, I don't want this'," I explained to her, squirming out from underneath her. And she let me. I was free. I hastily zipped my jeans back up and redid my belt buckle. I still sat on the floor and looked at her angry face. She was frozen on the floor, in a crawling position; her cleavage was pouring through her shirt.

"What?" She asked me angrily. I swear if humans could emit steam, she would have been fuming.

"I told you that I don't want this to happen Jess," I told her again.

"Is it because of that stupid ugly bitch Bella?" Jessica yelled at me. Her accusation was like a slap in the face. Not because it wasn't true, because she was one hundred percent dead on. But because she had called Bella ugly. And there was no fucking way in hell that Bella was anywhere close to being ugly. I had never wanted to hit a girl so much in my life.

"That is none of your fucking business," I spat at her venomously. "Get the fuck out," I told her, eyeing her with disdain and frustration. She slowly got up off my floor and grabbed her heels. Without saying a word she left the room, and left me to my silence. _Thank the fucking lord, _I thought to myself. I was so glad that I didn't have to put up with her shit any longer. I sat up and looked around for my phone. I had put it on my desk. I bolted over to my desk like lightning and hastily opened my phone. It was only 7:30, still early. Without thinking I took off out of my room with no shoes on and with only my phone in my hand. I nearly ran down the hall to Bella's room and pounded my fist three times on the door. A few seconds later the door opened and I found Bella standing before me in a plain white tank top and sweatpants. In this she looked a hundred times better than Jessica did in that stupid fucking skirt. When Bella saw me her eyes went wide and she smiled that god damn smile that made my heart swell, and I hurried into the room and wrapped my arms around her.

I lifted her up off the floor and squeezed her so tight that I never wanted to let her go. I didn't care if it was selfish, and I really didn't care that I had only known her for less than twelve hours. She giggled cutely into my hair and her warm breath made my skin tingle. She wrapped her arms around my neck and tried to hug me back with the same amount of force. I reluctantly set her back on the ground, but only so I could kiss her. I bent my head down to hers and kissed her on the lips softly. She kept her hands around the back of my neck and brought my face closer to hers. When we parted I put my forehead to hers and breathed in her delicious smell. Her hair smelled like strawberries; it was fantastic.

"Hi," I said to her, a wide smile coming onto my face. I could feel the electricity pulsing through my forehead and my hands because that's where I was touching her. It felt motherfucking incredible.

"Hey," she replied, clinging to me tightly. I lifted her up again in a hug and walked us both over to the bed. I placed her down gently and sat bedside her in a much better mood. I tenderly placed my lips on her forehead and gave her a kiss, while I ran my fingers through her luscious hair. "What happened to Jessica?" She asked me quietly when I pulled away from her. I shuddered.

"I don't even want to talk about it," I began in a huffy voice. I was still fucking pissed about what she said about Bella. "But," I continued, really not wanting to say the next part. "You were right."


	6. Day's End

**A/N: **Now back to Bella! Enjoy : )

**B.P.O.V**

When I had heard a knock on the door I wondered who the hell it could possibly be. I knew that Alice first of all wouldn't knock, and she would most definitely still be on her date with Jasper.

To open the door and find Edward's godly figure standing before me was the exact thing that I needed to see. In turn I obviously couldn't help but give him my biggest smile, because he had just made me so fucking happy. He had then come into the room and crushed me into arms, lifting me right off the floor. It hurt a little, but I was just so giddy at the fact that he had ditched Jessica somehow and had come here instead. I buried my face in his hair and greedily took in his scent. He sort of smelt like lavender a bit, but other than that he smelled amazing. I didn't really know what it was exactly, but it matched Edward's personality perfectly.

I was upset when he put me back down because I didn't want to let him go, but he had kissed me instead, which was just fine by me. I could feel the electricity from his contact penetrating the parts of my body that he was touching, and it made me feel relaxed. When he had picked me up and took me over to the bed I just wanted to curl up with him there and go to sleep. And when he kissed me on the forehead and ran his fingers through my hair, my eyes rolled back in my head. His every touch made me tingly and nervous; but in a good way. I had wondered what he had done to get away from Jessica, and when he pulled away I decided to ask him.

"What happened to Jessica?" I asked him in a small voice. He just looked at me with an annoyed look on his face.

"I don't even want to talk about it," he started in a touchy tone. He sounded almost mad for some reason. "But," he continued, "You were right." I was right? About what? About Jessica being a skank...my stomach fell. Had she tried something with him? Had he given in? My face went pale and I started to breathe more heavily.

"I was....right," I started, incredibly upset. "Abo – about what?" I was stuttering I was so upset. I looked down to my trembling hands and felt like I was going to cry. I felt Edward's hand close around one of my shaky hands and he gripped it tightly. He took his other hand and ran it through my hair until his hand reached my chin; he pulled it up. I gazed into his eyes and saw the pain that was in them. I wonder how far they had gone. First base? Second? Third? All the way? I winced as I though about the last part.

"About the fact that Jessica wanted me like you thought she did," Edward admitted, still holding my face and my hand. I nodded into his hand, but broke my gaze away from his eyes. I really didn't want him to see me cry. I would seem so needy and clingy. I had just met him...we had known each other less than twelve hours. But it felt like I had known him a lot longer; I felt like we were closer than that.

"Oh," was all I could reply without crying. He tried to turn my face so I would look at him, but I refused.

"Hey," he said to me when I finally looked back at him. "Don't be upset. I didn't do anything with her." My eyes widened and my shaking instantly subsided. He had resisted Jessica! Her and all her skankiness? I was so fucking happy that he hadn't done anything compromising.

"Really?" I asked him, smiling. He smiled back his amazingly crooked smile and nodded his head.

"Really," he replied, copying me. "It wasn't from a lack of trying on her part though," he added, shaking his head now. He looked mad. I didn't really know why. But I didn't want to spend my time talking about him and Jessica.

"I'm sure she tried her hardest," I said to him, in a much better mood.

After Edward had escaped the clutches of Jessica and come to my room we had spent all of our time just talking. We were both sitting on my bed holding hands and telling each other about our pasts. He told me what it was like growing up with a brother and how he and Emmett always played pranks on each other. I also learned that Emmett was in a fraternity at Dartmouth which Edward was pretty keen on hitting up for a party. He then told me about his life back in Port Angeles and I told him about my quiet life in Forks with Charlie and Alice. I told him about the day that Alice and I met and he laughed because he said that it seemed exactly like the thing Alice would do – Jasper was the perfect example of that. Before I knew it, we had been talking for almost two hours. I felt better about my abnormally strong feelings towards Edward now because I actually knew something more about him. I felt that I knew him on a deeper level, and it made me smile.

"Oh," I started, after he had just finished telling me about his high school. "Speaking of school, what program are you in here?"

"History," he replied. We were both sitting at the head of my bed and he had his arm draped across my shoulders. He picked at the fabric of my tank top absently while we were talking. "What about you?"

"English," I replied. I really hoped that we could possibly have some electives together. I leaned forward to my cork board and pulled off my schedule and handed it to him. "Do we have any classes together?" I asked him hopefully. He inspected the piece of paper for a minute or so before he looked up. He smiled at me and nodded his head. We had a class together.

"We have the longer genres English class together," he told me, handing me the schedule.

"Awesome," I replied to him, looking down at my schedule. On Monday I had longer genres, art history and shorter genres; it was a night class, which sucked. On Tuesday I had film analysis, culture studies, which was also an English class, and a few seminars to go to. Wednesday I had longer genres, art history, film analysis, and culture studies. Thursday I had two seminars which wasn't so bad, and Friday's I had no classes at all. I don't know how I possibly managed no classes on Friday, but I was going to love it. So on Monday's and Wednesday's I would have longer genres with Edward. The thought made me smile again. I had art history with Alice because she loved that kind of stuff, but that was sadly the only class. I leaned up to tack the schedule back on the wall and when I fell to my spot Edward's arm was around me again, holding me close to him.

"It kind of sucks that you have a night class," he told me, studying my face. It did suck, but at least I only had that class once a week.

"Yeah I know," I replied. "But there's nothing I can do about it. That was the only way I could take that class because another class was at the same time. But it's only once a week though. And I suppose seven until nine isn't that bad." I told him truthfully. He just shrugged his shoulders and leant his head on the top of mine. He grabbed one of my hands with the hand that wasn't draped over my shoulders and began tracing circles with his thumb like he had been doing before. We sat like that comfortably for what seemed to be roughly around ten minutes, and I just soaked up as much of Edward as I could. I looked over to my desk and the time was nearly 10:00. Alice would most likely be back soon from her date with Jasper and that would mean that Edward would have to leave. We needed our Alice-Bella time.

"Bella," Edward started, lifting his head off of mine.

"Hmm?" I replied, turning my head slightly so I could look at him.

"Um...would you maybe want to go on a date sometime?" He asked me shyly. He was so adorable when he was nervous. But why in the hell would I _not _want to go on a date with him? I thought about how to respond to him and I found the perfect answer.

"I would like that," I replied to him, smiling. "Who did you have in mind?" I added as a joke. He hadn't specified that it was _him _that I was to go on this date with. I decided to pull his leg a little with this one. When I said that he rolled his eyes at me and snorted.

"I meant with me you smartass," he replied, taking his arm from around my shoulder.

"I know," I replied, winking. "I was just messing around with you," I assured him, tapping his leg playfully. He smiled down at me and lightly dug his fingers into my ribs. My body instantly jolted away because I was exceptionally ticklish around my stomach. When I flinched away he laughed at me.

"Ticklish?" He asked, turning on his side to get better access to my ribs. I shook my head at him and tried to back away.

"No," I lied, smiling at him.

"You're a liar," he accused, moving closer to me with outstretched hands. I had nowhere to go, I was trapped. I quickly threw myself off the bed and landed on my knees, but when I got to my feet Edward was already standing. "Where are you going to go?" He asked me playfully. If I tried to run by him I definitely wouldn't make it. I just stood there staring at him with a stupid smile on my face, desperately trying to think of something to do. The room wasn't big at all so I really had no plan. He casually took a few steps closer to me and I put my hands out slightly to brace myself for whatever it was he was about to do. When he was within reach I quickly decided to make a run for it. I bounded over to Alice's bed and jumped on it to bypass Edward. But he snatched me off the bed before I could jump off and he threw me on my bed. Within seconds he was tickling my sides and I grabbed at his hands to make him stop. I was laughing so hard that there were tears rolling down my face.

"Edward!" I managed to yell through all my laughing. I was now kicking my feet and uncontrollably laughing like a complete moron. "St – stop," I sputtered in between my frantic laughter. To my relief Edward stopped tickling me and sat down on the bed next to me.

"I couldn't help it," he said laughing. He brought his hand to my face and wiped away the tears. He also moved his hand to my shoulder...apparently in my laughing fit the strap to my shirt had fallen down. He gently hooked his finger into the strap and slowly tugged it back up. I propped myself up on my elbows and put my hand against his chest. My heart was hammering inside my own chest and I felt the deep desire to kiss him. I pushed his hand away from my shoulder; I didn't really care if the strap had fallen down. I sat up and tangled my fingers into his hair. Looking into his eyes I could see it again. I could see the lust. I pressed my lips to his gently and he brought his hands around the back of my neck. I parted my lips and he did too at the same time and our tongues met in a slow, rhythmic movement. I moved my hand down to his chest and grabbed a fistful of his shirt and tugged it towards me. He understood what I meant and put his hands on my waist and moved me backwards. I broke our kiss and lied down on the bed with my head on the pillow. He just sat there looking at me with an eager face. Did he not understand? I wanted him. Now. I didn't know what exactly I was planning on doing, but I just wanted him close to me.

I leant up a tiny bit and grabbed his shirt again and yanked him down onto me. I took the initiative to begin kissing him on the neck. I started near where his collar bone was and tenderly placed kisses along his neck. With my efforts I heard a few sexy moans escape Edward's lips which aroused me that much more. Breaking my kiss Edward began kissing my neck slowly. In my arousal I swung my leg around his hip to press us closer together and he fervently began rubbing his hand up and down my thigh. In turn I brought my hands to his sides and just as feverishly rubbed my hands along his body. I then put my hands underneath his shirt and lightly traced my fingers along his skin; feeling the passionate electricity coursing through my body. Running his fingers along my thigh, he stopped on the waistband to my sweatpants and hesitated. I could tell that he wasn't sure what to do. Because I had told him that I had wanted to wait. But in all honesty I didn't think that I could. He was so perfect and beautiful and amazing and kind and great that it made me lose all my inhibitions. While his hand was rested at my waist, his lips continued to move along my throat. He kissed all along my neck and carefully made his way down to my collar bone. He lightly pecked at my skin and made me tremble. This time using a steady hand, I tugged at the hem of his shirt and began pulling it up. Edward ceased his arousing kissing and pulled his face away.

"What about Alice?" Edward asked me panting. Fucking Alice was my secret nemesis today. But she wasn't home yet, we still had the room to ourselves. I just shrugged at his question.

"What about her?" I asked him, still pulling his shirt up.

"She'll be home soon," he replied, not stopping my eager hands. When I reached his head he bowed it down so I could pull his shirt off. I threw it onto the floor and stared down to his perfect bare chest. I groaned because he was right, and I rolled my eyes.

"Ugh," I said, throwing my hands down to my side. "Fuck...fuck, fuck, fuck."

"Bella please stop saying fuck," Edward begged me, rubbing his nose against my cheek.

"Why?" I asked him quizzically. He brought his lips to my ear and softly breathed out. His warm breath made me shiver.

"Because it's turning me on," he whispered into my ear. I melted. I put my hand around his neck and brought my mouth to the side of his face.

"Fuck," I sighed into his ear. I heard him whimper into my neck and he roughly began kissing me all over. He put his hands on my waist and began rubbing his hands all along my stomach. I thought he would probably go for my shirt first like I had, but he decided to go in the opposite direction. He hooked two fingers into my sweatpants and tried to pull them down, unsuccessfully. I unthinkingly lifted my hips into him so he could get them off more easily. He slowly tugged them down to my knees which left me in my black, silk panties. "Wait," I started, before he could do anything else.

"What is it?" He asked me, lightly tracing his finger along my bare thigh. I quivered uncontrollably as he touched me.

"Should I call Alice to see where she is?" I thought it would be a good idea to find out where she was rather than her surprising us again. He nodded in response and continued to massage my thigh. I couldn't remember where I put my phone though. I sat up and looked confusedly around the room. I spotted it on my desk. Edward rolled off of me and onto his side so I could get up. Blushing, I pulled my pants off the rest of the way and tossed them to the floor with Edward's shirt. Then I got off the bed and snatched my phone up, only to go back to the bed and lie down next to Edward's shirtless self. I flipped open my phone and began dialling 'Alice Cell'. When I put the phone to my ear, Edward put his hand to my bare thigh and began gently massaging it again. My head swam with desire and passion...but I had to focus because I was calling Alice.

"Hello?" Alice's squeaky voice answered on the fourth ring.

"Hey Alice, where are you?" I asked her while I began to quiver. Edward was moving his hand up my thigh to my stomach. He gently tugged my shirt up a tiny bit to reveal my belly button, and he slid down the bed to place his lips on my stomach. I bit my lip hard. I couldn't moan into the phone; that would be horribly embarrassing.

"Just out with Jasper," she replied. No fucking shit, I knew that. I wanted to know _where _exactly she was. It was hard for me to concentrate with Edward's gentle kisses. To make matters worse, he lightly brushed his tongue along my stomach, making me gasp. "What's wrong?" Alice replied at my sudden intake of air.

"Nothing!" I yelled a bit too loudly. "Um," I continued, trying desperately to focus. "Where are you guys? Are you coming home soon?" I asked her quickly. Edward moved his lips up my abdomen while his hand tugged my shirt up slowly.

"You're being weird," Alice pointed out. I rolled my eyes. She had to be fucking psychic or something. "But Jasper and I are on our way home, we'll be there in ten minutes," she replied. I sighed heavily. Fuck. That most definitely was not enough time; especially since I didn't even know what we were planning on doing.

"M'kay bye," I mumbled into the phone and snapped it shut, tossing it onto the floor where various articles of clothing lay strewn. "Edward," I said to him, putting my fingers in his hair. He stopped kissing my stomach and looked up from my torso with gorgeous, swollen lips. "Alice will be home in ten minutes," I told him with disappointment in my eyes. His face fell and he put my shirt back in its place.

"Fuck," he whispered to me, moving back up to my head. He most definitely wasn't helping me turn off all my anxious hormones.

"Edward please don't say fuck," I replied to him, putting my hand on his bare chest. This was not helping either. The fact that he was shirtless was making me antsy. Being the amazing asshole that he was, he put his lips to my ear and did the same things that I did to him.

"Fuck," he whispered in my ear. I turned onto my side to face him and roughly stuck my tongue in his mouth. This was obviously what he wanted because he responded to my actions eagerly. He massaged my tongue with his and brought his hand to my ass and squeezed it roughly. His roughness aroused me greatly and it briefly made me question my severely absent will power. I couldn't continue with this right now though, no matter how much I wanted to. Alice would be home any minute and I think she would hit me on the side of the head if she found me pants-less in my bed with Edward. Making a firm decision, I stopped making out with Edward and pulled my face away.

"We need to stop," I told him quietly. He clearly didn't want to stop either, but nodded at me because it was the smart thing to do.

"Okay," he replied, sitting up. He had a tiny bead of sweat on his temple and I felt a small amount of moisture gathering at the nape of my neck. I sat up too and wiped the sweat away from my hairline. I swung my legs off the bed and leant down to grab my pants. I pulled them back on and grabbed Edward's shirt off the floor as well. I tugged on the fabric until the shirt was right side out and turned around to find Edward still sitting against my wall, gasping for his breath. I crawled over to him and put the opening of the shirt around his head. When I had pulled it on it messed up his hair a little bit, and I giggled softly. He put his shirt on the rest of the way and just sat against the wall staring at me with a satisfied but at the same time frustrated look on his face. We just sat there for a few minutes in silence, staring at each other. His breathing finally returned to normal after a minute or so and he smiled at me with his fucking perfect smile. Did he know that he caused my heart to stop every time he did that? Either way I couldn't look away. He stretched out his arms and wrapped them around my waist so he could pull me to his side. I willingly complied and nestled my way into his chest; more than comfortable. He nuzzled his face into my hair and inhaled deeply. I giggled.

"I want to eat your fucking hair," he started, still sniffing the top of my head. I kept laughing. "It smells like strawberries."

"That's what my shampoo smells like," I told him after I had finished laughing. He hugged me tighter to his side and continued to smell my hair. I noticed after a few minutes that I had been tracing a figure eight on his arm; I hadn't even realized that I had been doing it. I continued the figure but slowly moved it up his arm until I reached his bicep. I gripped it tightly to hug him closer to me and he did the same to my shoulder. I pulled my face away from his side and looked up to him. He looked just as peaceful as I felt. With him I was completely at ease, and everything felt natural, normal...right.

He bent his head down to kiss me and I took my hand from his bicep and tangled it in his hair. I loved running my fingers through it because it was so soft and messy and perfect. I tilted my head to deepen the kiss and he slowly began massaging my tongue with his. Our rhythm was slow and passionate and in that moment I felt so close to Edward, felt such a deep connection to him. He was truly unlike any other guy that I had gone for before; by a long shot. Sure he had wanted sex, like the others, but he also tried to restrain himself for my sake. This time around was all my idea and I could tell that he had been hesitant about what we were doing. But that was making me want him so much more because he was showing me that he cared about my feelings. He brought his hand to my cheek and gently brushed his thumb along it, but I wasn't blushing. He tilted his head now to deepen our kiss further and when he did I heard Alice's key turn in the lock. Damn, she was home. I went to pull away but Edward wouldn't let me go; he waited until the door was open to release me from his fantastic kissing. I shifted around on the bed to find Alice staring at both of us with a gaping mouth. Looking around the room I realized how intimate this must have looked. Every light in the room was off with the exception of the small lamp on my desk, which gave off next to no light.

"Hey how was the date?" I asked her breathlessly to interrupt the awkward silence. Jasper wasn't with her so I assumed that they had parted for the night.

"It was good," Alice said, snapping out of her brief state of shock. She went and sat on her bed and just looked from my face to Edward's and back again. Edward cleared his throat.

"Um I should go," he told me, glancing sideways at me. I frowned a bit, but he was right. It was nearly eleven and we both had class tomorrow. I nodded at him and got off the bed; he followed my actions. "Night Alice," he said, turning to Alice.

"Goodnight Edward," Alice replied. She still looked shocked...but I would tell her _everything _when I got back. Edward and I left the room and I quietly shut the door behind me. I turned to face him and he gave me a small smile; I smiled back.

"I had a good time," he said to me, taking my hand from my side.

"Me too," I replied. But I think that fact was pretty obvious. I stretched up on my toes to kiss him on the lips. I let go of his hand to wrap my arms around his neck and he snaked his arms around my waist and squeezed me tightly to him. I wasn't ready to let him go. But after several minutes of making out with him in the hallway I very reluctantly pulled away. He rested his forehead against mine and exhaled deeply.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked me quietly. I nodded against his forehead.

"Mmhmm," I replied to him drowsily. I was getting a little tired. With my answer he kissed me softly on the lips again, with no tongue this time, and released me. With a final smile, he turned away from me and walked down the hall and around the corner; out of sight. I sighed deeply and went into my room, prepared for the bombardment of questions Alice was sure to have for me. I entered the room to find Alice perched on her bed now in her pyjamas. Since I was already in mine I went to sit on my bed and faced her.

"So," Alice began, crossing her arms. "You have anything to tell me?" Since I couldn't lie to Alice _ever _I got up and dragged my desk chair over to her bed and sat down, propping my legs up on it.

"How much time do you have?" I asked her jokingly. She laughed light-heartedly and uncrossed her arms. I immediately began retelling her my day with Edward. I started with our first interruption and she covered her mouth in shock while she smacked my leg. She hit me a lot during that conversation. I then told her about how I told Edward that I wasn't a virgin and wasn't ready to have sex yet. She 'awed' when I told her how considerate he was being and how he had been hesitant – unlike a certain short blond haired someone – not to do something that would upset me. Then I decided to tell her about when we had our first make-out session. I recalled my nervousness the first time, deciding to tell her about the shirt on the floor after all. She again covered her mouth and went wide-eyed. She couldn't believe my provocative actions. Little did she know that it got worse though. I then proceeded to tell her how Edward ditched Jessica and came here to be with me. Edward again earned an 'awe' for his cute behaviour, but Alice continued to listen intently. I explained that we had talked for almost two hours and he had seemed to be the definition of perfection. But I hesitated to tell her the next part...I feared she might have a stroke. My actions had been completely uncharacteristic especially since 'pre-Edward' I had been put off of having sex at all.

"I don't know what came over me," I explained, shaking my head. "I just wanted him to be close to me...and before I knew it..."I trailed off.

"Before you knew it...what?" Alice encouraged with an eager face.

"Alice we were like this close," I began, using my thumb and forefinger to indicate a very small space. "To...you know..."I finished, blushing furiously. She knew exactly what I meant even though I hadn't said the words. I think she stopped breathing, and I again feared a stroke, but she just sat there staring at me with an open mouth.

"Isabella Marie Swan!" Alice yelled. If I had thought that Alice couldn't make her voice go any more high-pitched, I was proven horribly wrong in that moment. I covered my ears because her voice was glass-shattering.

"Inside voice!" I yelled back jokingly, and she mildly calmed down.

"Who are you? You are so not being Bella today," Alice replied. She was right. I wasn't being myself, but at the same time it felt like this is the way I should be. It felt natural...like breathing.

"I know...I'm acting so off. But I can't help it. Being with Edward feels right...do you know what I mean?" She stuck her hand out horizontally and waved it back and forth slightly to indicate that she kind of knew what I meant. I assumed she knew because of Jasper. He was the complete opposite of what Alice had gone for before. Ben had been shorter and a brunette, while Jasper was tall and blond. Another guy that she had fooled around with on several occasions, including Valentine's Day, was Eric Yorkie, and he also was a shorter brunette.

"Well...so did you guys end up doing anything?" She asked in an interested voice. I shook my head and her face fell a little.

"We made out for a long time," I told her smiling. I couldn't help but smile when I though about kissing him. "And then," I continued, piquing Alice's interest. "I um...took off his shirt, again," I blushed horribly. Relaying my embarrassing actions to Alice was sort of like explaining a porno to her. She just kept listening attentively while I became ever more embarrassed. "And," I kept going, "he then decided to uh..." I cleared my throat, unable to get the words out.

"Spit it out Bella!" Alice yelled impatiently.

"He took off my pants," I told her in a raised voice, keeping my eyes on her face. If her jaw hadn't been attached to the rest of her mouth it would have fallen on the floor.

"You let him?" She asked me, astounded that I had let Edward do that. "Bella...I thought after what Newton tried to pull with you that you would at _least _get to know the guy first before you let him undress you." I shuddered at the mention of Mike's name; stupid fucker. But she was sort of right. After last Valentine's Day I had decided to make sure I _actually _knew a guy well enough before going out with him.

"But I know Edward," I told her. In all fairness I had spent two hours talking to him about his life. "Besides...have you _seen _him?" I asked her in a semi-breathless voice. Thinking about his flawless body and personality was taking my breath away.

"Yes," Alice replied, not wavering from my statement. "I just don't want you to get hurt again Bella. I don't want you to do something that you'll regret either," she told me. She was always so concerned about me, which is why I loved her so much.

"Alice I promise that I won't do something stupid," I assured her. I knew for a fact that the same selfish desires that I had been exposed to with Tyler and Mike weren't prominent in Edward. He had kissed me with passion and desire while all I felt from Tyler and Mike was their teenage hormones and their detached sloppy kisses.

"Just be smart Bella," Alice told me with concern leaking into her eyes. "Pinkie swear me," she then ordered, sticking out her little pinkie finger.

"Pinkie's don't swear Alice," I told her smiling. She rolled her eyes and now stuck out her middle finger instead. Those were the ones that swore. I stuck out my middle finger and wrapped it around hers. "I promise I'll be smart," I assured her.

"Good," she replied, releasing my finger.

"So," I started. "What about you and Jasper?" She squealed at the mention of his name and began telling me about her lengthy day with Jasper. She told me about how mature and polite he was, and that he had been so different from Ben and Eric. He had pulled out chairs and opened doors for her all day. She smiled widely as she recalled their date. They had gone out for dinner to an expensive restaurant and Jasper insisted on paying the entire bill. After their date they had gone for a drive down to the lake and talked for a while. She said that he was very down to earth and enjoyed just sitting under the stars with her nestled on his lap. Despite their closeness though, Alice frowned at the fact that they had barely kissed.

"I mean, he seemed to be into me, but wasn't really into kissing me," Alice said, sticking out her bottom lip.

"Well..." I started, not really knowing what to say. "Maybe he wants to get to know you better?" I asked.

"Well what the hell!" Alice yelled in a huffy voice. "You and Edward are making out all day and hardly know each other. But Jasper and I spend the entire day talking and he barely wants to kiss me." I thought about that for a minute.

"Maybe he's nervous?" I asked her. "Do you know if he's ever had a girlfriend?"

"No," she said shaking her little head.

"Maybe," I continued, a light bulb turning on in my head. "Maybe he's a virgin," I told her. That seemed like the most reasonable explanation. Alice wasn't a virgin and hadn't been since tenth grade. "He could want an emotional relationship before a physical one. Being the mature guy that he is," I added. She smiled at the possibility.

"You think?" She asked hopefully. I nodded.

"I do. He seems to be considerate like that," I then told her. "Edward and I started off on a more sexually driven note. The minute I saw him I just wanted to run my fingers through his hair and kiss him," I told her, divulging an embarrassing piece of information. "And he's not a virgin, which makes him all the more willing."

"That's true," Alice agreed. "But don't you want to get to know him first Bella?" She asked concernedly. "I mean you'd be losing your _virginity _to him for heaven's sake."

"Well were going out on a date," I told her to calm her nerves. "I'm sure I can hold him off until then because school will be busy this week."

"You sure about that?" Alice asked me, raising her eyebrows. Something she always did when she was being sceptical.

"About...eighty-five percent sure," I replied honestly.

"I could always help you out," she told me. I knew that I could count on her for something like that. "I'll just make sure that I'm always around when you guys hang out," she said smiling. "When's your date?" About that...We hadn't decided on a day yet.

"Don't know," I told her sheepishly. "He asked me to go on a date, but never asked what day." After I told her this I yawned. I turned my head to look at my clock and it was 12:40. Way past my bed time.

"Well you find...that out," Alice replied; a yawn breaking her sentence. Yawning was fucking contagious. I nodded to her and stood up.

"I'm so tired," I told her, stretching my arms and legs.

"Me too," she agreed, lying down and getting underneath her comforter. I pushed my chair back to the desk and hopped onto my own bed after turning off my desk lamp. I nuzzled myself into my cold comforter and allowed my eyes to close.

"Night Alice," I mumbled.

"Night Bella," she replied. My jumbled thoughts momentarily flickered to Edward and I was again in a swirl of emerald and bronze. But before I could form any coherent thoughts or conclusions about him I was overcome by my subconscious and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	7. Exes

**A/N: **Okay this chapter is a bit longer. Again I just kept going on and on and on. Kind of like the Energizer Bunny : )

**B.P.O.V**

I knew that waking up peacefully wasn't going to be a ritual and the next morning showed me that all too well. Alice and I both had art history at ten in the morning and she had set her alarm for eight thirty to get ready. I groaned when she shook me awake. I would have to do this _every _Monday. When I was up and functioning well enough, we both headed to the bathroom in our flip flops to have a shower. Alice got back to the room before me because I had to shave my legs and when I got back she had an abundance of outfits lying across my bed. Thankfully all of the outfits consisted of jeans and sweaters. It must have been cold outside. I grabbed the outfit closest to me which consisted of my cute yellow sweater, a blue tank top to go underneath, and a pair of black jeans. I decided that wearing the same shoes I wore yesterday would do perfectly. I grabbed the outfit off the bed and grabbed clean, matching underwear and bra from my dresser and went to my closet to change. The door opened wide enough so I could hide behind it and change with a great amount of space. I emerged from behind the closet door and Alice smiled at me from her desk chair.

"Perfect," she said as she styled her short hair with her straightener. I was surprisingly comfortable in this outfit which was a change from some of the outfits she made me wear. My hair was still wet and I didn't have any make-up on, but I was dressed.

"Hair?" I asked her, pulling at a strand of my wet, knotted hair. She looked at me through her mirror to examine me.

"Curly," she replied, nodding her head. I went over to my cabinet and grabbed my blow dryer out of it. While Alice was doing her own hair I could at least try to get started on my own. I brushed all the knots out and sectioned it off again, and blow dried it straight. After I was done drying it, Alice had finished with her hair and make-up. She plugged the curling iron into the outlet and skipped off to her closet to get dressed. She returned a few minutes later when the curling iron was hot and was wearing faded blue jeans, a black sweater, and a white tank top underneath. To top it off she was wearing a pair of heels. I was her best friend; her second best friend was her high heels. She picked up the curling iron after she had sectioned off my hair and began going to work on it. It only took her a total of fifteen minutes to curl the parts of my hair that she wanted. When she was done she brushed my hair with a tail comb, to give the curls some volume, and put hairspray in it. I went over to her mirror and looked at my hair. It looked _good. _It looked so natural and bouncy, and the curls were big and loose. I liked it. I was done getting ready and Alice looked like she was too.

"Breakfast quick?" I turned around and asked her. She nodded but didn't move from her spot in the middle of the room. "What's wrong?" I asked her as she crossed her arms at me.

"You forgot something," Alice said, blinking her eyes rapidly. I rolled my eyes at her. Make-up...I had forgotten to put on make-up. Since her make-up kit was still out I turned back around and put on a little bit of mascara, and a little bit of blush. That was all I was doing; she would have to live with it. "Better," she told me with uncrossed arms when I stood up and turned around to face her.

"You sure?" I asked, blinking my eyes rapidly like she had done. She laughed at me and grabbed her book bag and key off her bed.

"It'll have to do," she said, waiting by the door. I collected my book bag and key from the floor and went to Alice who now had the door opened. We left the room at about 9:30 and went to Commons to get breakfast before we started our first official day of college.

---

Art history had been more than uneventful. Despite the 'I want to harm myself' effect the first class had on me, the concept of the class seemed intriguing. Right after art history I had to _literally _run to my next class because it was in a different building on the other side of campus. I got there with three minutes to spare and I was lucky. I could have easily gotten lost. Thankfully people were still filing into the lecture hall, and I came to a stop at the edge of the mass of people. This was longer genres; my class with Edward. I stood on my tip toes and scanned the crowd for the recognizable mop of gorgeous bronze hair, but my eyes came up empty. I returned myself to normal height and kept scanning the room for him. In my search I saw a familiar face, but not remotely close to the one I wanted to see. It was Jessica. _Awesome, _I sarcastically said to myself. She was waiting in the horde of people scrunched up next to a locker; looking pissed off. I quickly averted my eyes and pretended like she wasn't there. Still unable to find Edward, I stood in the mass of people with my book bag slung over my shoulder and my arms crossed.

I shuffled ahead along with the line and when my legs moved my phone jabbed into my thigh; like a sign. I could text him...I was so fucking stupid. I quickly pulled it out and flipped it open. I typed: **where are you?** Into the phone and sent it to 'Edward Cell'.

I got one back thirty seconds later that said: **behind you.**I slowly turned to see a grinning Edward standing behind me.

"I've been here the whole time," he said to me, laughing. Obviously I couldn't help but blush at him. He had been watching me look for him; horribly embarrassing.

"Oh," I said in response, biting my lip. "Thanks for telling me," I then said, playfully hitting his arm. He shrugged.

"I thought it was funnier this way," he then told me. That smile that I loved was coming onto his face. I smiled back, trying to think straight, and turned around to go into the lecture hall. I walked in and picked a random spot in the middle of the hall and Edward followed me. I quickly scanned the room for Jessica when we were sitting down to see how close she was to us, but I couldn't find her. Turning to Edward, I remembered that I needed to ask him something.

"So, about that date you asked me out on yesterday," I began, staring into his shining emeralds. I cleared my throat to form the next part of my sentence. "You never told me when that would be."

"Sorry," he started in a soft voice that was as soothing as a lullaby. "I got distracted," he continued, brushing my hair away from my neck and behind my shoulders. His fingers lightly grazed my neck. I tried to concentrate, but when he did and said things like that to me it drove me mad...but in a _really_ good way. I tried to focus on taking each breath in through my nose and out through my mouth to ensure that I was breathing at all. If I wasn't careful, Edward Cullen would soon be my cause of death.

'_Dartmouth student Bella Swan died this morning of asphyxia due to lack of oxygen. Her boyfriend, Edward Cullen, reportedly caused her death by staring intensely at her'. _

Wouldn't that be the way to go...at least I'd die happy. And had I really just called Edward my boyfriend? "When did you want to go?" He then asked me. I shook my head to answer Edward's question.

"Um...I, I...it doesn't matter to me," I managed to sputter.

"How about Friday night?" He suggested. I smiled.

"Sounds perfect," I told him. We continued to talk for a few minutes after that but the prof soon started the lecture. It too was 'slit my wrists' boring, but I had Edward there to steal glances at. It also seemed like it was going to be an interesting class. The course consisted of reading seven novels of which I had already read three. And I loved to read, so it was going to be a piece of cake for me. When the class had finally come to an end it was just after twelve; and I didn't have another class again until seven.

"So...what are you up to now?" I casually asked as we were leaving the lecture hall.

"I've got history now," he replied in a bored tone.

"That sucks," I replied. "What building?"

"JNH...it's not far," he said, stopping when we had exited the classroom.

"Okay, well will I see you later?" I asked hopefully.

"You're not going to walk me to class?" He asked me in a tone of mock sadness. I rolled my eyes and laughed at him.

"I guess I could," I said to him with a smile. Edward, to my surprise, grabbed my hand and gently laced his fingers with mine. I blushed...like always and he began towing me in the direction of JNH. When we got there we walked up a flight of stairs and stopped in front of the doors to the lecture hall.

"Have fun," I told him sarcastically. Still holding my hand he just stood there glaring at me.

"Gee thanks," he began. But he stopped and tensed at the sound coming from over my shoulder. I saw light brown hair out of the corner of my eye; it was of course Jessica. Why wouldn't she have two classes with Edward? She stalked past us without a sound and disappeared into the room.

"And have fun with the skank," I added, annoyed.

"Knock it off Bella," Edward told me in a stern voice. And I shut up. I was still jealous because Jessica had been alone with Edward last night. Even though I know he ditched her and all that I couldn't help it. I was being extremely selfish. I didn't want any other girl to look at Edward...which was very possessive of me for only knowing him for a grand total of about twenty-four hours. I shrugged off my jealous feelings and looked at Edward who was staring at my stubborn silence.

"Fine," I told him through gritted teeth.

"Good," he replied. "I have to go. I'm late now." Great. Now I felt bad.

"I'm sorry," I told him, frowning.

"Don't apologize. Just don't be like that," he told me. I nodded at him because I knew that I was being stubborn and childish. When he saw that I agreed to 'knock it off' he let go of my hand. "I'll come see you after," he said, smiling.

"Call me when you're done," I said in a more upbeat voice. He nodded back and smiled at me, taking my breath away. Before he turned to leave he bent his head down to mine and kissed me softly on the lips. I watched him soundlessly slip into the room as the butterflies fluttered furiously around my stomach.

---

Edward called me an hour later and told me that he was on his way. A jolt of panic shot through my body. Alice wasn't home. I called her cell phone, anxious as all hell; she didn't answer. _Fuck! _I knew that if Edward showed up here and I was alone...that just wouldn't be very good at all. I couldn't control myself when I was alone with him. I dialled Alice's cell again and no answer; I got her voicemail instead.

"Hey it's Alice! Leave a message," her perky voice told me from the phone. I scowled. _Beep. _

"If you don't get your petit, peppy, pixie-ass back here right now Mary Alice Brandon, I will make you wish you had never met me!" _Click. _I threw my phone on my bed and began pacing my room and picking at my nails nervously. I knew that Edward would be here any minute and Alice had _promised _me that she would be here. Her class was done now. Where the fuck was she? My panic was interrupted by a faint noise on the other side of the door. I stopped my pacing and stood in the middle of the room waiting for either a knock or a key. _Please be a key, please be a key. _I released the breath I had been holding in a sigh of relief when I heard Alice's key turn in the lock.

"Alice!" I yelled at her when she came into view. "What the fu –" I stopped when I saw Edward follow her into the room. "Oh hey Edward," I said blushing a little.

"Hey..." he greeted back, confused.

"Alice where's your phone?" I asked her.

"My bag...why?" She asked, also confused.

"I just tried to call you, but never mind," I told her, darting my eyes from her to Edward.

"Okay," Alice said, furrowing her little eyebrows. She dropped her bag next to her bed. "I'll be right back," she then said turning to leave.

"What?" I asked her, stepping forward, my face paling. She turned to look at me and I widened my eyes at her, telling her that she couldn't leave.

"I'll be two minutes Bella," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to get Jasper." My tension relaxed a little, but not enough. She took off out of the room and I just stood in the same spot, my eyes shifting to Edward. He was wearing a dark grey sweater and a red shirt underneath. And _fuck me, _did he look sexy in red. _Stop it Bella, _I told myself. Edward dropped his bag on the floor and came to stand in front of me.

"What's up?" He asked, furrowing his brow. This caused a little crease to form in the middle of his otherwise perfect forehead.

"Not much...you?" I replied, staring into his mesmerizing eyes.

"No," he said, shaking his head. His bronze hair wiggled lightly. "I mean what is up? As in, why are you being so...sketchy?"

"What?" I began, shaking my head like a moron. "I'm not – I'm not being sketchy," I told him, gesturing with my hands. This was a complete lie of course. An amused look came across Edward's face.

"Bella," he said, laughing. "You're being so sketchy."

"Fine," I admitted, dropping my arms lifelessly to my side. Edward took my wrist in his hand and lifted it from my hip. I just looked at him. I was barely able to form a thought. I stared at his eyes, then his lips, his jaw, his neck, his chest...and then I travelled down his chest to his belt. I shook my head fiercely and focussed my eyes on our hands. Alice was taking longer than two fucking minutes. I would hurt that pixie...pluck her fucking wings off.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, stepping closer. I could now smell him which was fucking great. Like that would help me at all.

"Yeah – I'm good," I told him, my voice cracking on the last word.

"You don't look like you're okay. It looks like someone planted a bomb and you're ready for it to explode," he said this while cupping my cheek with his hand. His electricity was now coursing through my wrist and my cheek. I nuzzled my face into his hand, itching to be closer to him.

"This is my problem," I said to him, grabbing his waist and looking around the room.

"Me being in your room?" He asked me, puzzled.

"No...you and me – being in my room – alone," I told him. He rubbed his thumb along my dark pink cheek.

"Why is it such a problem?" He asked me, leaning down to kiss the side of my neck. _This is why it's such a problem. Horny Edward and Horny Bella. _I gripped his side tighter, losing my coherent train of thought. I moved my hands slowly up his side, to his chest, up his neck and tangled my fist into his hair. So much for Alice's plan. I was getting more turned on the more he continued to kiss me, and so was he. He had let go of my wrist and started fervently running his beautiful hand along my hip. I felt him kiss all along my neck and he did the one thing that made that fucking moan spill from my stupid mouth; he licked my neck. His soft tongue running along my neck caused a loud moan to erupt from within me. I cursed myself internally for being such a moron. But it ultimately aroused him even more which caused him to lift me by the waist and toss me onto the bed. When we were apart I was able to form a sentence.

"Edward, _this _is why it's a problem," I said, trying to catch my breath. He bounded onto the bed, but just sat there. He traced his finger along my forearm, making it tingle.

"I can't help it Bella," he said. I sat up and scooted next to him. "Do you have any idea what you look like?" He asked.

"I do dress myself...on occasion," I said, smiling.

"Well someone should fucking arrest you for looking so utterly indecent. Nobody should look so tempting," he replied, his emeralds piercing my heart. I melted. Ugh, what was he doing to me? I made a tiny little whimpering noise next to him and blushed like mad. "And when you do _that,_" he continued, whining. Oh his whining. It was erotic. He brought his hand to my cheek and brushed his thumb along it. I closed my eyes and sighed, trying to steady my breathing. "I don't know how you keep guys away in all honesty," he told me, forcing my eyes to open.

"Heh," I said, shifting semi-uncomfortably. He looked at me confused.

"What?"

"Well I don't so much keep them away as fight them off...literally," I told him, looking away. He removed his hand from my face.

"What?" He asked again, shocked. "Seriously?"

"Uh yeah..." I told him, recalling my only two former boyfriends. Who both turned out to be assholes. "Remember when I said that high school guys were manipulative assholes...well I found that out the hard way."

"Oh..." he said. "Oh!" He then said, looking up at me, concerned. "That's why before..." he continued, trailing off. Now he _really _understood why I was hesitant before. "I mean...what happened? If you don't mind me asking?" Before I could answer Alice bounced into the room with Jasper behind her. Stupid pixie took ten god damn minutes. But all was well in Bella-land.

"Hey Jasper," I greeted him. Today he was wearing a simple outfit; jeans and a blue buttoned shirt.

"Hey there Bella," he replied, smiling. They both went and sat on Alice's bed, and began chatting to each other.

"Sorry," I said, turning to Edward who was still waiting for a reply. "Anyways...I've really only had two boyfriends before," I started, settling myself against the wall. "The first one was Tyler Crowley." I pointed to the picture of him and me at Junior Prom.

"Oh," Edward said in response.

"We dated in grade eleven for a couple months and he was always really nice, but sort of aggressive." I hugged my sides just thinking about it. "He was always suggestive and made innuendos, but I just shrugged it off and hoped he would change. I told him that I wasn't ready for a physical relationship and he had settled for that because he said I was the 'hottest junior'," I said this in air quotes because I didn't think he had been accurate. Edward slapped my hands away when I did that.

"It was probably true," he said to me, keeping his hand on mine. I smiled at him, and continued.

"Anyways that all changed when we went to the Prom together. By this time we had been dating for about two months and he had finally started calming himself down from trying to...you know..." I said suggestively. "But, uh, when we went drinking at Alice's that night I got pretty drunk. And so did Tyler. By the end of the night Tyler had sobered up almost completely, while I still had a mild buzz, because I'm smaller. And he convinced me very easily to let him drive me home, which proved to be a horrible idea."

"I should have punched him too," Alice mused. I looked over to her and she and Jasper were looking over to me and Edward. I smiled at her.

"Too? You punched another guy?" Edward looked at Alice, astounded.

"Don't worry, Bella will get to it," Alice chuckled. And I continued with my story as I relayed it to all three of them now; although Alice already knew these stories.

"_Anyways, _Tyler thought he would try to take advantage of me..." I said in a quieter voice. "And he sort of groped me...in the back seat of his van. He ripped my prom dress and caused severe trauma. I had to force him off of me before he violated me. When I finally got out of the van I puked in the parking lot," I looked over to Alice and smiled at her. She loved that I had done that, she thought it was hilarious. "After that he didn't want anything to do with me. So he took me home, and the next day we broke up."

"Did he hurt you?" Edward asked me in a concerned voice; that crease coming back to his forehead.

"No," I said, shaking my head. He hadn't physically hurt me in any way. Just ripped my dress to make it strapless and forced himself on me so much I threw up...but hey, that's what Junior Prom's for. "He didn't. Not physically at least. But I couldn't trust him not to try it again and I was hurt at the fact that he had done that after I told him not to." Edward muttered something I couldn't hear under his breath. "And after that my friend Mike Newton was right by my side consoling me after what happened with Tyler. I was really upset about it because I liked him and I thought that he would have respected me – I was wrong. After about seven months or so of Mike being a good friend and gaining my trust I started to have stronger feelings for him and we decided to go out. He always had a crush on me and he was a really sweet guy."

"Pfft," I heard Alice say. I rolled my eyes and giggled.

"Anyways, Mike and I were dating for about a month and hadn't really been on a real date yet. So on Valentine's Day we went out on our first official date to Port Angeles. Everything was good and fine at dinner and then afterwards he wanted to go somewhere and talk. Next thing I know Mike is shoving me into the back of his Suburban groping – at my chest – and my legs..." I trailed off. I shuddered. Edward gripped my hand tighter in anticipation. "I punched him in the shoulder to get him off of me and it thankfully worked. In my haste to get out of the truck though I fell onto the pavement and scratched my hands and my knee and there was blood. Alice then picked me up and threatened to break Mike's fingers if he ever touched me again," I said the last part laughing. Edward wasn't amused though. "And after a month of apologizing," I continued more seriously, "I decided to change my phone number. He came up to me in the hall that day and tried to apologize again and even proposed getting back together...which was ridiculous. Then Alice's fist comes out of nowhere and punches Mike right in the face. She broke his nose," I said this laughing. I couldn't help it. Edward smiled.

"Moron deserved it," Alice said decidedly. Jasper snorted beside her.

"I bet he did," Edward said, still squeezing my hand with a bitter look on his face. "Can we talk alone for a minute?" He then whispered in my ear. He looked serious and I nodded. He slid off the bed and towed me out of the room. Alice didn't say anything, which surprised me. When we were alone, in silence, he let go of my hand and rested his forehead against the wall, with his back to me.

"Edward?" I said, concerned at his odd behaviour.

"I'm sorry," he said, still leaning against the wall.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him while I stared at the back of his head.

"I'm such a fucking asshole," he muttered, slamming his fist against the wall. I jumped back when he did that. He was a little frightening.

"Care to explain?"

"I just...I can't believe that I – I was acting like those guys that you _hate_," he started, smacking his head against the wall pretty hard.

"Edward!" I yelled at him. "Don't fucking do that." How on _earth _could he be compared to Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley? There was no way he could be.

"Prick, asshole, fucking jerk..." I heard him listing off several names for himself which was making me angry. He hadn't been like them at all. I shoved myself against his arm and he reluctantly turned and put his back to the wall. I stood up on my tip toes and grabbed his face in between my hands. His eyes opened and he stared into my eyes.

"Knock. It. Off. Edward," I told him the same thing he had told me. "You are _nothing _like them," I assured him. How could he even think something so utterly ridiculous?

"But I am Bella," he protested. Looking away from me. "I did just exactly what you told me your horny fucker ex-boyfriends did to you. I feel fucking shitty," he then said, still not looking directly at me.

"Do you want me to tell you why you aren't like them?" He shrugged. "One," I started. "This is embarrassing but when I saw you at the floor meeting I just wanted to kiss you right then and there." I started to blush, but I continued. "Two. I actually removed clothing from you, didn't I? And I also let you remove mine...does that sound like something I did before? And three, I didn't try to resist or push you away before...because I wanted you so bad." At this point my face was on fire. I just told him everything that I had felt for him in the past two days and it was embarrassing as hell. "Nobody should look so tempting," I repeated his words, tracing my finger along his bottom lip. His eyes were glued to mine and he was speechless. As the words lingered for a minute, he brought a hand up from his side and caressed the back of my head. I slid my hands from the side of his face and snaked them around the back of his neck. He pressed his lips to mine and crushed me into a hug.

"I'm sorry," he whispered when he pulled his lips away from mine.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," I told him, keeping his face close. When he breathed out his warm breath would smother my face and make me woozy. We stood there just enjoying each other's presence for a few minutes. I was still on my tip toes with my arms around his neck, and he was leaning up against the wall with his arms tightly around my waist.

"Oh," I started, after several minutes of silence. "Along with my argument. There's the fact that I'm petrified to be alone in a room with you because of what I might do," I told him, smiling. He smiled back.

"I can't help myself either," he told me. I was slowly melting. Hearing that he wanted me just as bad as I wanted him was making me hot. There was so much sexual tension between us that you could cut it with a knife. And it was slowly driving me insane. I _had _to wait for our date though...no matter what. Lest I be labelled 'Bella Swan: Campus Slut'. But if Edward and I started dating then there would be no problem. I didn't want to risk that it wouldn't work out and told myself to back down. I kissed him on the lips one last time and returned to normal height, taking my hands with me.

---

We had spent the next four hours talking and watching a movie with Alice and Jasper. Spending time with Edward was almost like a surreal fantasy. I couldn't believe how great he was and it made my heart ache. He always held my hand or put his arm around my shoulder and it always gave me butterflies. But I still didn't understand the electricity. It was amazing but at the same time it was the weirdest thing. It was like we were attracted scientifically to each other...like we were biologically meant for each other. I was a goofy shaped puzzle piece and he was my perfect counterpart. I thought that he must have felt somewhat the same way about me because he never took his hands off of me; not that I wanted him to anyways.

After we had all gotten dinner, and I had received a numerous amount of glares from an angry Jessica sitting a table away, Edward kindly offered to walk me to my night class. The butterflies were fluttering at full speed. The building that I had my shorter genres class in was in a weird spot on campus. It was near the student center but was oddly not really near any other building. He walked me to the back of the building because that was the side that faced the student center. It wasn't as well lit and there weren't many people around. We had to cross an entire field to get there, and there weren't even any lights to show the way. I was surprised that I hadn't tripped walking across the dark grass. Either way Edward would have caught me. We stood in the dim light of the entrance to the building and I gave him a hug.

"Have fun," he told me. I groaned. This class was two hours long and it was the first one. It would be even more boring than the other two classes I had.

"I won't count on it," I replied, pulling away. It was five to seven. "I have to go." I frowned at this. We were having such a good day.

"Want me to come get you after?" He asked me. I smiled at him; it was the sweetest thing ever. But I shook my head. He didn't have to do that.

"It's okay, just go home and relax. I'll text you later when I'm back," I told him, grabbing his hand.

"If you want me to just let me know." He bent his head down to mine and kissed me. My heart pounded in my chest. And I nodded when he removed his beautiful lips from mine.

"Bye," I whispered, pulling away. Every time I left him I wanted to scream.

"Bye," he whispered back, smiling my favourite god damn smile. My heart was thumping madly in my chest. I turned away from him and walked into the building. My breathing was returning to normal and my heart was beginning to pump slower. I was calming down. I trudged down the stairs to the basement which is where my lecture hall was; expecting the worst.

When the lecture was over I was the first one to leave the room. It had been _much _worse than I expected. It was so boring that I kept nodding off while the prof was talking. She had been rambling on about poetry or short stories...or something, maybe both? I wasn't too sure. I bolted up the stairs and escaped out to the dark, cold night. It wasn't too cold, but it made me zip my sweater up closer to my neck. I hastily made my way across the dark grass and into the warm student center. I walked through it and again went outside to make my way to Berry. The walk in total only took me about ten minutes which was pretty good. I was back in my room by quarter after nine and Alice was alone, reading her Cosmo.

"Hey," I greeted her when I walked in the door.

"Hey!" She excitedly greeted me back. My eyes widened at her and I laughed. She was jumping off the bed and dancing around. She could have played Tinkerbelle in fucking Peter Pan. Give her a little green outfit, dye her hair blond, and give her some wings...voila. "Oh my god Bella you were right!" She then yelled at me and continued her swirly dancing. I followed her around for a minute until she made me dizzy. I shook my head.

"What?" I asked her, really confused.

"About Jasper!" She told me, stopping her dancing and slumping onto her bed. "He's never had a real girlfriend before," Alice breathed out, staring at the ceiling.

"Oh!" I replied to her, covering my mouth. I wasn't the one who liked Jasper but he was something to look at alright. I didn't think that what I had said was true...I thought he could have been a virgin but I thought he must have had a girlfriend before. It seemed really unlikely that he went through life looking like _that _and could never have possibly had a girlfriend. "Really?" I asked her, sitting next to her on her bed. She nodded her head.

"I asked him before what was up with him not wanting to kiss me. You know how I am," she told me, smiling. "I force things out of people." That she did alright. I shook my head and laughed. Poor Jasper. "Anyways he said he was sorry for the way he acted and he said that he was nervous because he had never really kissed a girl before. Well he had, but not for very long." Alice closed her eyes and a big smile came onto her face. I'm sure she had changed Jasper's kissing experience greatly.

"So I take it you changed that then eh?" I asked her, laughing. She sat up and nodded her little head fervently. "Mary Alice Brandon..." I started, shaking my head.

"About that!" She yelled at me. I looked at her with mock horror.

"What?" I asked her, confused.

"That message you left me," she said staring me down. "What the hell was that about?"

"Well _that,_" I began, "was me yelling at you for not being home and Edward coming over. I thought he'd get here before you and I was flipping out Alice!" I told her, gesturing with my hands. She covered her mouth and tried to stop herself from laughing. "It's not funny, I almost had a heart attack," I told her, lightly slapping her arm.

"I'm sorry," she said, laughing now. "But I did get here before him."

"Luckily."

"Is it really that hard for you to control yourself?" She then asked me and still continued her laughing.

"Alice," I started crossing my arms. "I didn't want you to leave us alone for two minutes...what do you think?" She giggled hysterically and threw herself down on her pillow. "I'm not even joking. When you were gone...for ten minutes by the way...He started kissing my neck and threw me on the bed and we almost started making out."

"Oh, I'm really sorry that my being absent made Edward kiss you on the neck. My bad," she said sarcastically, sitting up. She wasn't laughing anymore. "Bella," she started, now with a serious face. "You are both obviously attracted to each other and it's obviously driving you both nuts. So I think that you should just stop trying to fight it and fuck him already."

"Alice!" I yelled at her. I had gone so high-pitched that it hurt my own ears. Apart from the fact that Alice never swore, she was not helping my 'Wait for the Date' plan. "Alice, what the hell?" I said, horrified. She pursed her lips and tried hard not to laugh.

"Bella I'm just being sensible. I haven't seen you this...what's the word...sexually charged...in your entire life." I blushed furiously. Alice could see how much I wanted Edward; _that _was fucking embarrassing. I groaned and threw myself onto her pillow.

"Alice..." I started, in a whiny voice. "I want him _so bad!_" I was still whining. It was honestly killing me that I actually wanted someone this bad.

"Then go get him!" She told me, shoving me off the bed. "Tell Jasper to come here," she told me, winking. I fell onto the ground and looked up to her sitting proudly on the bed. My whole body twitched at the thought of doing what Alice said, but I knew I couldn't. I shook my head.

"Alice I can't," I told her, flinging myself against the ground. I lied there spread out across the floor and stared at the ceiling. "And I thought you were supposed to be helping me restrain myself?" I asked her, propping myself up on my elbows. She just shrugged.

"Well I only said that because I could see that you wanted to wait...but I didn't see before how much you couldn't control yourself. So now I don't see what the point in waiting is. Just do it already." I had never wanted to hit Alice _ever. _But her words were making me want to slap her. She wasn't helping me at all.

"Alice you are _so _not helping me! What's the deal?" She folded her hands in her lap and just stared down at them. "Earth to Alice?" I said, staring at her.

"I don't know..." She began. "It's just I guess I'm pushing you because Jasper told me something...about Edward." I froze. What about him? "He said that last night he was on the phone with some girl...but they were arguing." I completely sat up now and listened to Alice's story. "Jasper said that Edward was telling her that he didn't love her anymore and that they were through." Both of these things made me happy. "But Jasper also said that Edward was trying to convince her not to come visit him. He apparently begged her not to come here. I guess it didn't work because Jasper said that Edward almost threw his phone against the wall because he was so angry." My heart almost stopped beating. So Edward's obsessed ex-girlfriend...or girlfriend...was coming to Dartmouth to see him? I couldn't breathe.

"What?" I breathed, tears welling up.

"Bella what I'm saying is you should be with Edward all you can so that his crazy ex can see that he doesn't need her anymore. If he's with you when she comes here than everything will be good," she told me, sliding off the bed. She sat next to me and rubbed my arm soothingly. I calmed my breathing and steadied my heart rate. So it was Edward's _ex..._Not his girlfriend. Either way...

"Or if I'm with him she'll come and rip my head off," I told her, keeping the tears in my eyes.

"There's always that too." She smiled at me. I half-smiled back. "I figured that Edward wouldn't let that happen though," she continued, brushing my hair out of my face.

"But Alice I just can't do that...I don't want to give myself to him just because his ex-girlfriend is coming to see him," I told her, frowning. I didn't want to lose my virginity for a stupid reason like that. I always wanted to lose it to someone I was in love with...My breathing quickened and my heart pounded. I thought about it; could I be? Now _that _was ridiculous. I couldn't be. Edward was just really sweet and perfect and amazing and lovely and extremely good-looking. I shook my head.

"Well I just don't want you to get upset when she comes here Bella. I mean if she convinces Edward to get back together with her or something like that. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I won't," I told her, looking to the ground. "I'm tired though...I think I'm just going to go to bed." I looked to the clock and it was only 9:30. I didn't care. I just wanted to sleep and forget about this conversation.

"Okay," Alice said in a quiet voice. She knew I was upset and that she should leave me alone. "Oh and by the way..." she continued. "You didn't talk about Charlie last night." I looked up to her. I hadn't talked about Charlie? That's weird; I had been doing that every night. "You were talking about Edward." She stood up and left me on the floor. I felt the tear well over my eye and roll down my face. Just a single tear. I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut. I got up off the floor and quickly tore my clothes off and got into my pyjamas. I slid into my bed and nestled myself into the comforter; willing this day to end. I forgot that I had told Edward I would text him. I grabbed my phone off my desk and flipped it open. I told him that I was home and I was going to bed because I was tired. I waited for a response. A minute later he responded and it said: **Okay, goodnight beautiful : )**

I groaned and laid my head back down on the pillow. I turned my body away from Alice and faced the wall. I closed my eyes tight and wished for sleep; but it didn't come. I needed an aide. I grabbed my iPod from the table behind me and put one of the buds in my ear.

"Night Alice," I said gloomily, before I put the other one in.

"Night," she replied, sounding the same.

I put the other ear bud in and turned the iPod on. I needed my comfort music. It would put me to sleep. As I listened to my favourite Iron&Wine song I slowly drifted in and out of consciousness, thinking about Edward. I wasn't sure when I had fallen asleep or how many songs I listened to. But it was a restless night. I woke up several times sweating and panting. I knew I had been dreaming about him. When I finally fell asleep for the third time that night I went to sleep with tears streaming down my face and a wet pillow.


	8. Game Plan

**A/N: **Okay sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I promise that I won't have very many short chapters. I just had to cut it off somewhere and in turn it made this chapter a little shorter. Happy reading!

**B.P.O.V**

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday went by slowly and painfully. The classes were all boring at the beginning but they picked up on the second lecture. I decided that it would be a good idea to ask Edward about his little incident with his ex and find out if she was actually going to be coming here. He tensed when I asked him about it but told me everything. He told me all about her. Her name was Tanya. They had dated for only about four or five months and when he realized how much of a bitch she was he broke up with her. He told me about how she humiliated his lab partner. Edward's lab partner Lauren had been flirting with him and had asked him over to her house to work on a Biology assignment. Apparently Tanya had flipped out and humiliated Lauren in front of the entire school. He said that after that he didn't want to be with her anymore. When I asked him if she was coming here, he slowly nodded his head. He said that she was planning to come up for the weekend and he didn't know what to do about it. I felt so relieved that he didn't want her to come. And he told me that he wanted nothing to do with her; which made me even more relieved.

I also found that those three days following the beginning of the week I was more easily able to restrain myself. I had awoken from my lust-induced coma and realized that I wanted to be in love first before I lost my virginity. That would make me keep my hands to myself. Thursday horribly tempted me though.

"I don't know what to fucking do," Edward said, hitting his head against the back of my wall. We were sitting on my bed against my wall and he always had a tendency to do that. His head had to hurt by now.

"Uh," I started, not knowing what he should do about Tanya either. "I have no clue. Run away?" I asked. I knew it sounded ridiculous.

"Where would I run? I can't not go back to my room all weekend..." he trailed off. And looked at me proudly. "Can I stay here this weekend?" He asked hopefully. Was he serious? I stared at him with a gaping mouth. "I mean Alice will still be here of course. I'll sleep on the floor." I took a deep breath in relief. I blinked my eyes rapidly and nodded my head.

"I guess...guess so," I said. I think Alice would understand. "But what if Jasper tells her where you are?" He waved his hand at my question.

"I'll tell him not to tell her. And if she calls me I'll just tell her that I'm away."

"You think that will work?"

"I hope it will," he said, shrugging. "I don't know what else to do."

"We'll try our hardest to fight her off," I told him, smiling. I was trying to lighten up his mood. All week he had been trying to put up this facade. He was trying to show me that he was all happy and good and fine; but he wasn't I could tell.

"Okay," he replied, smiling back. Alice and Jasper had left to go get us all food from Commons. I told her we'd stay here because I wanted to talk to him about Tanya and how he was going to deal with it. Edward tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and brushed his fingers along my cheek. Every time he did that it made me blush. I nuzzled my face into his hand and inched closer to him. He slid his finger into my hair and lifted my face with his other hand. He stared into my eyes with the dazzling emeralds and momentarily made my heart stop.

"You're amazing," he whispered to me. That comment equalled Bella melting.

"No," I whispered back shaking my head.

"Yes," he argued.

"You're amazing," he said, kissing my cheek.

"And smart," he said, kissing the other cheek.

"And funny," he continued, moving back to the other cheek.

"And beautiful." He alternated back to the other cheek. My breathing was quickening and my head was swimming.

"And sexy," he quietly whispered as he moved back to the other cheek.

But I didn't let him. I pulled his mouth to mine and kissed him fervently. His hand that was in my hair pushed my face closer to his. I pushed myself off the wall and got onto my knees so I could get better access to his mouth. He brought both his hands now to my waist and rubbed his hands all along my sides. I gripped the back of his head with both my fists and pulled gently. The sexiest noise came from Edward's mouth, and it made me moan. He sucked on my bottom lip gently while he continued to move his fingers gently along my sides.

He pushed away from the wall and when he did I forced him down onto the bed. He lay down with his head at the foot of my bed and I threw myself on top of him. Probably not the smartest thing...but I had been over this too many times to know that I would give in eventually. When I kissed him again his lips were parted slightly and I parted mine to put my tongue in his mouth. He massaged my tongue with his and he still gripped my waist with both his hands. I tilted to my head and deepened our kiss which made him emit another sexy noise from his mouth.

"Ahem," I heard someone say from behind me. I froze on top of Edward and turned my head. Alice and Jasper were watching us with _very _fucking amused expressions. Apparently Alice hadn't locked the door. "Edward..." Alice started. "You have a Bella on you," she told him, laughing. I rolled my eyes at Edward and sat up on my bed; turning the colour of my shirt, which was a deep maroon.

"Save a horse, ride an Edward?" Jasper asked. I bit my lip, and turned even redder...if that was even possible.

"Practicing CPR," Edward said amusedly when he sat up.

"Ah," Jasper said, sitting down on Alice's bed. He laughed at Edward's response and shook his head. "Alice and I were 'practicing CPR' earlier," Jasper said, using air quotes around the 'practicing CPR' part. Alice giggled and sat down next to Jasper. I averted my eyes from the both of them and looked at my hands folded in my lap. How embarrassing.

When I had finally stopped blushing, the four of us ate in the room and listened to music for a long time. I had so much fun just hanging out with Edward, Alice and Jasper. And Edward and Jasper were getting along pretty well I noticed. I'm glad that they were becoming friends. We spent the rest of the night in mine and Alice's room listening to music and playing cards. When we had decided to play Euchre was when things got really fun. Alice and I were on a team and we were against Edward and Jasper. Alice and I had been playing Euchre since we were twelve. Charlie had taught us one day in the summer of grade seven. We had picked up on it fairly quickly for being so young and we had been playing ever since. Of course we had to find people that knew how to play as well. Luckily Edward knew how to play and Jasper sort of did. He said he had learned but wasn't too sure on some of the rules.

"Pass," Alice said cheerfully.

"Pass," Edward said angrily. He hated passing it to me because he didn't want me to call trump. But I was next. Jasper was the dealer and the card turned down was a jack of hearts. I could _not _tell him to pick up a bower the first time around. I didn't have a red hand, and that would be a euchre for sure. I was surprised when he had turned it down. I had a fairly good black hand though; I had the ace, king and jack of spades. The other two cards were horrible off-suit though. I decided to call it and hoped to god Alice had something good.

"Spades," I said confidently. Edward has his best 'poker-face' on next to me and didn't say a word. I looked over to Alice whose face had contorted a little. I hoped I'd picked the right suit. Alice was first to act. She played the king of clubs. That was most likely her highest off-suit. Edward played the ace of clubs. Fuck. I couldn't trump it because I had to follow suit with my stupid shitty nine of clubs. I tossed it down, glaring at Edward. He smiled back at me and stuck his tongue out a little. Jasper had to follow suit as well and played then ten of clubs. Edward won that round. He continued by playing the ace of hearts. Did he have all the fucking aces? I had a stupid heart so I had to play it. Jasper again had to follow suit and put down a queen of hearts. Alice followed suit as well playing her crummy little nine of hearts. Edward again won that round and collected the pile to start the next round. He played a king of diamonds. All I had left was trump. I played my king. Edward glared at me for trumping his card and I just smiled. Jasper had played a low club and Alice had to follow suit with a low diamond.

"That one's mine," I told Edward, collecting the pile. I threw down my bower and my ace because nobody could beat those and Alice and I got our point. Despite the fact that Alice and I were four points ahead of Edward and Jasper, they somehow managed to win. Edward pulled two loner hands out of fucking nowhere and kicked our asses. I crossed my arms when the game finished. Alice and I had met our match.

"I think...I _think,_" Edward began cockily. "That's game eh Jazz?"

"Looks like it," Jasper replied, smiling at Alice. She stuck her tongue out at him and he pulled her onto his lap.

"Re-match?" I asked Edward. He smiled at me and a playful look came onto his face. I was competitive when it came to card games. That's all Alice and I used to play with Charlie as kids. Sometimes when Charlie's friend Billy came down from the reservation we would all play Euchre; and Alice and I would kick their asses. The student masters the teacher.

"I don't think your partners up to it," Edward said motioning to Alice. She was nuzzled against Jasper's chest with her eyes closed. She wasn't sleeping but she looked tired. _It's all those dancing pixie moves, _I thought to myself.

"Not tonight Bella," Alice said quietly with her eyes still closed. I packed all the cards away and put them back in my desk drawer. It was almost eleven. I yawned.

"Tired?" Edward asked from behind me as he snaked his arms around my waist. Butterflies. I nodded my head. "Got to bed." I nodded again.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked turning around. But that was a stupid question. Tomorrow was our date.

"Have you forgotten about our date?" He asked with a look of mock shock on his face. I smacked his arm lightly and laughed. I shook my head.

"No...I realized it was stupid question after I said it."

"It's not stupid," he told me. "Oh," he continued, turning away from me. "Alice, Bella told me I could stay here this weekend." Both Alice and Jasper looked up to Edward in unison.

"What?" They both said at exactly the same time. It was kind of creepy.

"Bella?" Alice asked, giving me a strange look.

"My ex is coming to town to see me. I'd rather stay here so she can't find me. And Jazz when she knocks on the door just tell her I'm away."

"No problem," Jasper replied nodding. Alice laughed.

"That's fine Edward. Crazy exes are more of mine and Bella's forte anyways." I rolled my eyes at her comment.

"Well I'm not planning on her finding me," Edward replied, annoyed.

"No worries Edward. We'll deter her. When's she coming?" Alice asked. Edward groaned.

"She said she would be here tomorrow night."

"Well we'll be out on our date," I told him. He turned back to me and smiled.

"Ah yes, but how we will get back in without her noticing? I mean if she camps out in the hall or something."

"Walkie Talkies?" I asked, jokingly.

"Good call Bella," Jasper praised. I had been completely joking, but it did seem like a good idea now. Alice and Jasper could help us sneak back in.

We kept discussing our 'game plan' for another ten minutes. It was to be understood that Edward would bring clothes with him the next morning and leave them here. Along with blankets and pillows and such. We'd also try to stay out on our date for as long as possible. And when we were on our way back we would call both Alice and Jasper to see where psycho bitch was. Then Edward would lay low in our room for the rest of the weekend. After we were done talking Alice was nodding off and Jasper tucked her in – it was fucking adorable. Edward and I had said goodbye in the hall again, like we did most nights, and I went back in the room. Jasper left a few minutes later, but Alice was already asleep. Still dressed in her clothes from this morning and everything. I got changed and turned off the lights and got into bed. It didn't take me long to fall asleep because my mind was at ease. I drifted off to sleep thinking about my date with Edward.

Oh...Edward...

---

I woke up the next morning in a fucking fantastic mood. I was most _definitely _going to like having Friday's off. Alice had very generously not woken me up in the morning when she left for class. She had a few seminars. She was gone from nine until twelve. I had woken up at ten thirty. I stretched my arms and legs while still lying in bed and just stared at the ceiling thinking about Edward. He was on my mind constantly. And today we would have our first official date...although we had already been hanging out for the past week. Nonetheless I was excited to go out on a date with him. I wondered where he was taking me. Either way I'd be on a date with Edward Cullen.

I snapped out of my daydreaming about Edward and decided to get out of bed and get myself ready for the day. I again had to get ready all by myself, but Alice would touch me up later and pick me out an outfit for sure. I performed my morning ritual of showering and brushing my teeth. Followed by blow drying my hair straight and applying a small amount of make-up. I put on a pair of comfy jeans and a white T-shirt. Over top of that I tossed on a navy blue sweater...and was I comfortable. I heard a soft rap on the door and my head snapped up. I thought that Edward had class right now? I hesitantly made my way to the door and looked through the peep hole. I almost, _almost _had a seizure; it was Jessica. I opened the door and found her standing there looking at me with a confusing expression. I couldn't tell if she was angry or sad.

"Oh...hey Jess," I said. "Come in," I told her to be polite. I thought she would hurt me. But I was bigger than her, I could fight her off. She walked in and looked around the room. She made her way to Alice's desk chair and sat down. She was silent. Did she have a reason for coming here? "So what's up?" I asked her, sitting on my bed.

"I wanted to talk," she told me, staring at the floor. "I wanted to apologize actually. For the way I've been acting. I'm jealous that Edward's been hanging out with you because let's face it. He's the hottest guy ever." Well she was right on that one. He was fucking gorgeous. "And I wanted him too...but he apparently chose you." She said this, looking up at me. I just stared back at her, not sure if I should say anything.

"I'm...sorry?" I said, not sure what I was apologizing for. It's not my fault that Edward wanted to hang out with me rather than her.

"It's okay. I just feel bad now because you were really nice to me...and I haven't been acting at all reasonable. And I'm sorry." She seemed to be genuinely upset and her apology seemed to be heartfelt enough.

"Don't apologize Jess. Its fine," I smiled at her to show her that it was alright. And she smiled back.

We talked after that for a while about school in general and our class that we had together. She seemed to like it so far and had already read one of the books for the class. I hadn't even started. Alice had shown up half an hour later with lunch for me and her, and Jessica left soon after that because she hadn't gotten anything to eat yet. After Alice and I had eaten we each silently did some reading and some studying. I had to get started on reading those novels...

But secretly...

I was counting down the minutes until Edward got out of class.

---

When Edward came by after class to drop his stuff off my heart did all sorts of things. It stopped, it skipped a beat, and it sped up. All within the span of five minutes because Alice had shoved him out of the room and told him not to come back until date time. Which was five thirty. Edward wanted to get out of there as fast as he could to avoid running into Tanya at all. While he was gone Alice had rummaged through my closet and again picked out a few outfits that were 'Alice approved' for me to choose from. She then did my hair, curly, and did my make-up more to her liking. I stood in front of my bed for a few minutes looking down at the two possible outfits I would be wearing tonight. One was my Lululemon pants, my white tank top, and my yellow sweater. The other consisted of a skirt, which I immediately disregarded. I would go with the first one. I picked up the outfit and changed into it. Alice approved it with a smile and a thumbs up.

"Perfect," she said. It was almost date time. And the butterflies were already fluttering. We sat and talked for a few minutes and I couldn't sit still, I was so anxious to go out with him.

_Knock, knock, knock. _I jumped a little at the knock, but bounded off the bed to the door. I opened it hastily and smiled at the perfect god of a man standing in front of me. He was wearing a fucking red shirt again under his sexy leather jacket. He was staring down at me with his mouth slightly gaping. He had only seen me completely 'Aliced out' once...the first day we saw each other.

"Wow..." he started. "Bella you look amazing." My cheeks burned.

"Same to you," I said to him. "One sec, okay?" I left him in the doorway and turned around to grab the purse I rarely used with my phone, my keys and my wallet stuffed into it. Alice hugged me and whispered in my ear not to have too much fun. I rolled my eyes at her and told her I'd call her on my way back. I left the room with Edward and he grabbed my hand and held it as we walked. The butterflies were now going insane, flapping their wings around my stomach.

"So where are we going?" I asked.

"It's a surprise," he told me, smiling.

Horrible flashback to the words that Mike had said to me right before I had ended up in the back of his mom's Suburban pinned to the ground. I shuddered.

"The last time a guy said that to me I ended up in the back of his truck," I told Edward, slowing down my pace. He stopped walking and faced me with concern. He brought his hand to my face.

"I promise you that you won't end up in the back of the Volvo against your will," he told me, smiling a little now. I knew I wouldn't of course...not against my will at least. I'd probably drag him into the back. The words had just made me think about the last time.

"I know you wouldn't do that to me. It just made me have a flashback...that's all." He gave me a half-smile and kissed me softly on the lips. We kept walking down to the parking garage and headed for the shiny Volvo. When we were passing a blue Nissan Edward ducked into the row of cars and hastily yanked me with him. He had crouched on the floor and caught me before I hit the ground. Before I could say anything he covered my mouth and pointed to a bright red mustang pulling into the garage. He mouthed the word 'Tanya' to me and I paled. She was actually fucking here. We stayed crouched in between the blue car and a tan car as she parked in the visitors spots. I had to arc my neck to see her...and I wish I hadn't. A tall blond beauty emerged from the driver's seat. She had strawberry blond hair and was gorgeous. I was speechless at the sight of her. Edward had dated her? And broke up with her? And was now choosing me instead? It didn't make any sense. She was beautiful...but he had also said she was a bitch. Edward snuck along the row of cars towing me along with him until we reached the Volvo. By that time Tanya had gone inside the building. I wondered how the hell she knew which building he was in. But I assumed that she could ask the main residence building and find that out.

"Ugh," Edward groaned when she disappeared. I tried to stop thinking about Tanya and focussed on making Edward happy.

"Don't even think about her. We have a fool proof plan," I told him, trying to put on my best smile.

"I know. And I don't want this to ruin our date," he said, walking me to the passenger door. He graciously opened it for me and the butterflies went mad. Apparently they liked when Edward did romantic things like that. I slipped into the car and waited for him to get it. The engine again purred like a kitten and made me comfortable. He then sped out of the garage and tore off campus.

"How does dinner sound?" Edward asked me, as he drove 40 in a 30 zone. I tended to get a little nervous with speeding because I was the daughter of a police chief. But it didn't bother me that much.

"Sounds perfect."

Ten minutes later Edward pulled into the parking lot of a nice looking restaurant. He cut the engine and came over to my side of the car and again opened the door for me. The butterflies whizzed around inside of me as we walked into the packed restaurant hand in hand.


	9. Watery Abyss

**A/N: **So this chapter is _entirely _in Edward's POV. I love writing in his POV and from now on I will alternate between the two of them quite frequently. ENJOY!

**E.P.O.V**

When Bella answered the door I was stunned. She looked just so...tempting. Lately I couldn't help but think of her in any other way. She had been tempting me endlessly with the things she did and those fucking outfits that Alice picked out for her. On Wednesday she wore a skirt. I feared that I would pin her down and rip her clothes off in the middle of the lecture hall. I had restrained myself though, because we would get fucking suspended or expelled for groping each other in lecture in front of hundreds of students. So instead I just stared at her legs the entire class, fantasizing. And now she stood in front of me with perfect curly hair and fucking skin tight pants. I didn't say anything for a minute because I thought it would come out all jumbled and fucked up. I didn't want to sound like a horny idiot either so I just told her that she looked amazing. When in reality she looked fucking sexy as all hell.

I felt like dying in the parking garage when Tanya showed up. I couldn't believe she had the nerve to actually come here. She apparently hadn't gotten the idea that I didn't want to see her. But I just tried to shrug it off so that I didn't ruin my date with Bella. I was looking forward to it because we hadn't spent much time alone together...except the first day we met. So this date was our first official date and I was going to make sure it was perfect. I had opened the door for her when we got to the restaurant to show her I was a gentleman. She might have thought it was corny but I was going to try my hardest to give her the date she deserved. And I _wouldn't _feel her up unwillingly like that skeez Mike Newton had done. I took her hand and led her into the restaurant; it was busy. And when we finally got to the podium the hostess was undressing me with her fucking eyes. To show her I wasn't interested in her I slid my arm around Bella's waist and pulled her close. The hostess glared at Bella momentarily before showing us to our table. It was near the back and she had given us a table in the middle. I shook my head at the hostess and she took us around the corner and seated us in a booth. It was more private.

"So...what are you going to get?" I asked her after she had looked at the menu for a few minutes. I pretended to be looking at the menu too but I kept stealing glances over at her. Her sweater was only halfway done up and I could see her cleavage. She just looked so fucking sexy overall that I couldn't take my eyes off her.

"Um, I think I'm going to get...the sesame chick stir fry. What about you?" She looked up from the menu to me through her lashes. Would it be wrong of me to lunge at her from across the table and grope her in the middle of the restaurant? I thought so...so I kept my ass on the seat and answered her.

"The chicken bacon club," I answered. I had briefly seen it on the menu and had an interest. It sounded good. She smiled at me, my heart fucking raced. Why did she always look so sexy? I resolved that it was because she was sent from hell to give me a heart attack...or cause my death in some way shape or form. I didn't fucking care though, she could kill me and I'd die the happiest son of a bitch that ever lived.

"That sounds good," she replied, looking away. I hated when she looked away from me. I wanted to just stare into her eyes forever and fantasize about her until I could actually do the things I was fantasizing about. But our broken gaze helped me to focus on talking to her and not staring at her thinking of the many number of ways that I wanted to violate her in the middle of the restaurant.

"How are you doing tonight?" The blond, over-excited waitress greeted us.

"Fine thanks," I replied. She gawked at me and did the exact same thing that the hostess had done.

"What will you be having tonight?" She asked, still looking at me and completely disregarding Bella at all.

"Water?" I asked Bella. She nodded.

"Two waters, a sesame chicken stir fry and a chicken bacon club please," I told the waitress, handing her our menus. She took them from us and left the table with an unsatisfied look on her face. When she came back with our meal she again tried to get my attention but it wasn't going to work. I wasn't interested in her either. Bella and I spent the entire meal casually chatting and making jokes to each other. She made me laugh because she was actually one of the only truly funny girls I had ever met. And she wasn't trying to be funny to impress me. That's just the way she was. And when she blushed...I couldn't handle it when her face turned that stunning pink colour. I just wanted to kiss her all over.

"You finished with that?" The waitress asked, batting her eyelashes at me. _Save it, honey, _I thought to myself.

"Yes, thanks," I told her, sliding my plate to the end of the table. She took my plate and grabbed Bella's. "The check would be great thanks," I then said to her, before she walked away.

"So how was it?" I asked Bella.

"It was really good," she told me, smiling. She was breathtaking. "Did you enjoy it?"

"I did," I told her. The waitress returned then with the bill. I pulled my credit card out from my wallet and gave it to her, without looking at the bill. She stalked off without saying anything.

"Edward are you sure? I mean I can pay for my half," Bella started, rummaging through her purse. There was no way she was paying for herself on our date. Was she crazy?

"Bella what have I told you about smoking those illegal drugs?" I joked to her. She stopped looking through her bag and folded her arms across her chest. "Okay I know you have an aversion to people paying for you but you better get over it."

"Fine," she said, a small smile coming onto her face. "I'll deal with it."

"Good, you better," I told her, smiling back. The waitress returned _yet again _to give me back my credit card and the receipt. I gave her a fifteen dollar tip and signed my name. I supposed I could give her something to make her feel better. And I wasn't planning on coming back here anytime soon anyways. I'd pick a different restaurant for our next date. I handed the waitress the receipt and Bella and I got out of the booth and left the restaurant. We got back into the Volvo and I sped away from the restaurant, taking her to the next part of our date. I thought that going down to the lake would be a perfect place for us to be alone together; to talk. I brought a few blankets so we could sit on them. And the night was perfect because it wasn't too cold out and the sky was relatively clear. Sure I was doing what Jasper had done with Alice on their first date, but I also thought it would be perfect for me and Bella. I made my way to the lake, and she didn't even ask where we were going. I guess she assumed that I wouldn't tell her anyways.

"Were here," I told her when we pulled in. The sky was now dark and the only illumination came from the few scattered lamp posts, the moon and the stars. The waterfront was deserted. Before the water began there was a vast amount of grass that stretched for a mile. A playground was off to the far left, but other than that it was open green space. Bella looked over to me and smiled. Apparently the lake was a good choice. I cut the engine and popped the trunk. I got out and grabbed three blankets from the back and tucked them under my arm before I went to let Bella out of the car. I offered her my hand and she took it, beaming at me. We made our way to the grass and I picked a spot somewhere in the middle to lay down the first blanket. She sat down in the middle of it and I joined her. I laid the other blanket at the top of the blanket so we could put our heads on it and the other one was to cover us, in case we got cold.

"Thanks for dinner," she said to me, still holding my hand. The electricity was pumping through her hand into mine.

"Don't mention it," I told her, brushing her hair out of her face. My fingers tingled when I touched her neck. Her eyes closed at my touch and she nestled her face into my hand. I loved it when she did that. It usually meant that she wanted to be closer to me. I wanted it too. So I bent my head down to hers and kissed her on the lips. They were so pouty and soft. And kissing her was like kissing sex itself. Her tongue in my mouth always turned me on way more than I needed to be in that moment and it always drove me mad. So naturally this time wasn't any different. When we had been making out on the blanket for a few minutes, she had made her way into my lap and I had my arms around her while she sat there with her little arms wrapped around my neck. I was in trouble. The fact that her tongue was shoved down my throat and she was perched on my lap was making me hard. I needed to control myself though. We were in public...well sort of. _Behave, _I told myself. I hoped I could listen to my subconscious. It kind of relieved me when she pulled away. Not because I didn't want to keep kissing her, because I could do that all night, but because I was able to restrain myself from not taking her clothes off in the middle of the park.

"It's such a nice night out," she told me, looking up to the stars. I rubbed her back gently.

"Are you cold?" I asked her. She shook her head and all of her fucking sexy curls shook with it.

"No, I'm alright for now."

"Okay, just let me know if you do get cold," I told her while I persisted to trace small circles on her back with my hand. She ran her fingers through my hair a few times and I closed my eyes at the feeling. "You have no idea how that feels," I told her. She giggled a little and continued running her fingers through my hair. It felt more than good. She was making me relaxed and calm. I opened my eyes and gazed into hers; they were locked on mine. She continued her motions but soon stopped with her hand on the back of my neck. She curled and uncurled her fingers which brushed along the back of my neck and gave me goose bumps. I wondered if she even had an inkling of an idea of the affect she had on me. Interrupting my thought Bella lied down on the blanket and settled herself with her head on the blanket at the top. I joined her. I lay down right beside her and turned my head to look at her. For the longest time we just lied there too consumed with each other that we didn't even care where we were. We could be in a fucking deep watery abyss surrounded by man-eating squids and I still wouldn't care...as long as I could look into her eyes. I knew everything was alright. I noticed, after what seemed like a good half hour of just studying every inch of her face, that she started to shiver.

"Cold?" I asked her. She nodded her head while she rubbed her arms with her hands. I shrugged off my leather jacket and threw it over top of her. I wasn't too cold, but I didn't care either way. I'd rather freeze my ass off than let Bella. When I covered her with it she closed her eyes and nuzzled her face into it.

"Can we just sleep out here tonight?" She mused quietly. I lied back down and watched her serene face. She had a tiny smile playing around the edges of her mouth and she was nestled right into my jacket. I inched my body closer to hers until I was right beside her; I could feel her breath on my skin. I again felt my skin tingle and the hairs on my arm all stood on end. I brushed her hair away from her face.

"We could if you wanted to. But I don't want you to have pneumonia on our second date." Her eyes snapped open, and she stared into my eyes.

"Second date?" She asked, turning a breathtaking colour. I brushed my thumb along her pink cheek.

"You don't want to have a second date?" I asked, pretending to sound upset. She knew I was kidding though.

"It's not that. But we're not even through the first one," she said, laughing a little.

"Well is it going alright so far?"

"It's perfect," she told me. I smiled at her because she was fucking right. This date was absolutely perfect. Especially since we were so comfortable around each other. There was no tension...sexual tension _not_ counted. Because there was definitely a fucking painful amount of sexual tension between us, and it was driving me up the fucking wall, across the ceiling, over the ceiling fan, and back down the other fucking wall.

"Good," I replied, keeping my hand on her face. I loved the soft tinge of pressure the electricity left on my fingertips. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before. I kept gently rubbing my thumb against her face until the pink finally went away, but I kept doing it anyways. We again just lied there and stared at each other in silence for what seemed like forever. As far as space and time was concerned when I was with Bella; it was fucking non-existent. We could be suspended in purgatory for the rest of our lives and that would be fine by me.

"Do you know what time it is?" I whispered to her after a long, peaceful silence. I had left my phone in the car to avoid being interrupted. I probably had thirty missed calls from Tanya by now but I didn't fucking care. Bella reached down under my jacket and pulled her phone out. She held it away from her face to see the time.

"Eight thirty." See. Time flew by like it was nothing. We had been here for over an hour and a half. "Should we leave soon?" It was getting much colder out now and even though she was swimming in my jacket I could tell she was still cold.

"We can go if you want." She shook her head at me.

"I don't want to leave. I like it here."

"But Bella you're freezing," I told her, slipping my hand underneath my jacket and rubbing her arm. She had my jacket and the extra blanket on top of her by now and she was still shaking.

"I don't care," she said stubbornly.

"It's not like I'm not going to be with you the entire weekend anyways," I argued. It was true though. I had suggested staying in her room for the weekend for two obvious reasons. For one, Tanya was coming and I honestly didn't even want to see her. I knew that if she got me alone she'd do her little strip tease and I wouldn't be able to resist because I had been turned on by that once upon a time. And what was sexy never stops being sexy. But I didn't want to be with her. I moved on a long time ago and she still hadn't fucking accepted that. And two: I had asked Bella to stay with her because I wanted to spend every minute with her. I loved being around her.

"That's true," she replied a minute later, still shivering like crazy. I sat up and gathered the blankets all around her until she was covered. I lifted her up off the ground in one fluid movement – blankets and all – and made my way to the car.

"Edward!" She yelled. "Put me down." She was looking up at me with a red face. I just laughed at her. It's not like she was heavy. I ignored her demands and kept trudging my way to the car.

"Relax," I told her. She crossed her arms while she was being carried in mine. I set her down when we had reached the Volvo and she stood in front of me; not giving up the 'I'm mad' look that was plastered on her face. I knew what would make her better. I shoved all the blankets off her and they fell to the ground. I grabbed my leather jacket and tossed it onto the hood of the Volvo. Bella looked at me in shock, but I just grabbed her by the waist and pressed her firmly against the passenger door. She looked up to me and I realized how small she was. She looked so helpless in between my hands that were now pressed against the car. I lunged at her throat, assaulting her soft skin with my kisses. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer. I knew it would work. I kept kissing her and occasionally licked her neck which was a fucking fantastic idea. She made the sexiest fucking noise I had ever heard in my life when I did that. And when she did that I couldn't help but stick my tongue in her mouth. I titled and swerved my head, pressing my tongue against hers and tasting her delicious saliva. She stood on her tip toes and when she did her tongue jammed even further into my mouth and it made me groan.

I pried her off the car and put both my hands on her ass. I lifted her up so that her head was level with mine and I again pressed her against the car. I held her there, firmly gripping her ass and she fucking went ahead and wrapped her legs around my waist; pushing my hips against hers. I groaned again. I ground my hips against hers because I was so fucking aroused that it wasn't even funny. I unthinkingly let go off one of her butt cheeks and pulled the Volvo keys out of my back pocket. I pointed it towards the car and hit what I thought was the unlock button, and when I heard the little chirp of the car unlocking I knew I had been right. I stuffed them back in my pocket and used the same hand to open the back door. I stopped kissing her so I could breathe properly and so I could make sure that this was okay with her.

"Is it – I mean...we can stop – if you don't want," I started, trying to form a sentence coherently. It really wasn't working. She just nodded her head fervently at me and put her tongue back in my mouth as she was still pressed up against the car. I unhitched her from the door and carried her a few feet to the back seat. She willingly got down from my waist and hopped into the back seat. And I didn't fucking hesitate to jump right in after her. I shut the door and turned to see that Bella was eagerly sitting with her entire body turned to me. "Bella, are you okay with this?" I was finally fucking able to get the words out. She again nodded her head, and bit her bottom lip, but didn't say anything. "Say something, please," I begged her. I wanted to know what was on her mind. She inched herself towards me and pressed me up against the window. She ran her hand up my leg, my stomach, my arm, and brought it to rest behind my neck. She put her face to my ear, and I wanted to fucking rip her clothes to shreds that very instant.

"Fuck," she said in my ear. The word echoed through the car and I grabbed her waist as hard as I could and thrust her down onto the seat. Her head hit the leather with a soft thud but it didn't hurt her. I already knew that I was too tall for the back seat and that this might get a little awkward. I dropped my knee to the ground of the car and positioned myself over top of Bella. She rubbed her hands all along my stomach and chest while I tried to find a comfortable place to put my hands. Meanwhile my legs were cramping up behind me. I had nowhere to put them. She impatiently sat up a little and put her lips to mine. Then I just didn't care where I put my hands. I rested one against the back seat, behind Bella's head and the other against one of the back seat head rests. I pressed my tongue into her mouth and she willingly accepted it, gently sucking on it before reciprocating the kiss. I ground my hips against her again and she softly moaned from underneath me. Her noises were fucking erotic. Through all her noises though, I heard a faint beeping sound. I only heard it every few minutes, but then I became aware of what it actually was. My fucking phone. That meant that I had a message. My kissing slowed down and I became less urgent and Bella noticed.

"What?" She said, breaking our kiss. She was panting and a little sweaty; it was fucking sexy.

"Nothing," I told her, nipping at her neck. I didn't fucking care if Tanya called me. She emitted another sexy moan when I bit at her neck, but she persisted with her question.

"No, what's wrong Edward?" She asked me, as I continued to bite her neck. She made another pleading noise but gripped the back of my head. She wanted me to answer her but she was enjoying herself too much to force me off.

"It's just my phone, no big deal," I hurried the words out of my mouth while I licked her neck. When I said this I resumed my biting and she again made that fucking sexy noise. "I like when you make those sounds," I told her, kissing her collarbone. And she made another sound in response. She was a motherfucking expert at turning me on. I felt her wiggle beneath me and I first thought that she was trying to get free, but she would have told me if she was uncomfortable...and by the sounds of it she was _very _comfortable. I looked down to see what she was doing and she had her little fingers at the zipper of her sweater and she was hastily tugging it down. I think I just about stopped breathing. She pulled the zipper down and shrugged out from the sweater as best she could while being pinned under me. She tossed it into the front seat and waited for me to do something. By now I wasn't fucking acting on rational behaviour; I was acting on part of the will of my horny, aroused self. I thoughtlessly slid my hand under her shirt, only bracing myself with one hand, and tried to lift it up. I was horribly unsuccessful, and it was making me mad. I furrowed my brows in frustration and Bella giggled at me.

"Need some help?" She asked seductively. I nodded at her, daring not to speak. I wouldn't be able to get out my sentence. She was going to fucking take her shirt off. I couldn't focus on anything else. I watched her wiggle her arms beneath me and grab the hem of her shirt. She pulled it up and looked me in the eyes when she stopped at her breasts. She gave me a tiny smile and pulled it off the rest of the way. My jaw detached from my mouth. Her body was _perfect. _I whimpered a little at the sight of her. She was wearing a lacy, white bra that clung to her chest so flawlessly. It had a white flower etched into her left cup, and I stared shamelessly at it. She took her shirt off; I was allowed to look. After ogling her chest I bent my head down and kissed the space below her neck. I was careful to make my way slowly to her breasts. I kissed her gently and when I approached the peak of her breast I stopped. She ran her fingers through my hair, to tell me it was okay. So I went for it. I kissed her soft, fleshy skin and she gripped my hair tighter. She arched her back slightly off the seat and pressed her hips against mine. This wasn't helping my situation. Every time she pressed against me like that my body responded. Well parts of my body. She must have felt me through my pants or something because she smiled when her hips were rubbing against mine.

"You like when I do that?" She asked, her fingers tangling impossibly further into my hair. Again, no fucking coherent thoughts.

"Yeah," was all I could sputter from her chest; more than breathless. She fucking ground her hips against mine even more, if that was possible, and I actually moaned. "Bella," I whined, kissing her breast again. Did she have any fucking idea what she was doing to me? I suspected she did. My phone fucking beeped again.

"Just check your message," she huffed at me. She was frustrated. We both were. We were sexually and emotionally frustrated because we wanted to keep going but it was proving to be more than difficult in the back of the Volvo. And we were emotionally frustrated because of Tanya.

"No," I almost growled, kissing her breast again. She yanked my head away from her chest and looked me in the eyes.

"Edward, just call her back. Tell her to go away," she ordered me. And I had to obey. She was a shirtless goddess lying in the back seat of my car...I couldn't say no to her.

"Fine," I agreed, getting off of her. I leant up and over the console to the front seat and grabbed my phone from the cup holder where I had left it. I flipped it open and I had nine fucking missed calls. I groaned. I pulled myself back over the console and tried to sit up. I didn't want to sit on Bella's legs though. She understood and sat up. She rested her bare back against the leather seat and propped her legs up on the console.

"So?" She asked.

"She called me nine times," I told her with annoyance seeping into my voice. "And left me two messages apparently." I clicked on the message and put the phone to my ear. Bella sat topless and quiet next to me as I listened to Tanya's message.

"I just went to your room and your roommate said you were gone. Where are you Edward? Call me back," Tanya's nasally voice snapped at me from the phone. I deleted the message. Her next message had been left at seven thirty. I clicked on it.

"Where are you?" Tanya's voice yelled. "We need to talk Edward. Call me back now!" I deleted that message too. _Bitch. _

"Ugh, I can't call her back," I said, tossing my phone on the floor. I didn't want to fucking talk to her. She already put me in a bad mood.

"Edward," Bella began, turning to me. If she thought she was going to convince me to call her she was sorely mistaken. If anything she was the one who would take my mind off of calling her. Before she could try to persuade me though, my phone started to ring. "Just answer it," she told me. I had to get it over with some time I guess.

"Fuck," I said, grabbing the phone. I looked at the caller ID before I answered it and sure enough it was her. "What do you want Tanya?" I snapped at the phone.

"Edward why haven't you been answering me? Where are you?" She asked, trying to be nice. But I wasn't buying it.

"I'm out. Why do you care?"

"I came down here to talk Edward and you're ditching. What the fuck?" Tanya replied, angry now.

"I told you that I didn't want to see you. We haven't been together in months Tanya. Why the sudden interest in getting back together?" As I said this into the phone, Bella took her legs off the console. She turned her body slightly towards me and rubbed her hand along by arm.

"I just want to talk. Where are you?"

"Tanya. I told you I don't want to talk. I'm over you," I told her, watching Bella intently. She bent her head down and kissed my bicep. I cupped her cheek with my hand and stared at her.

"What?" Tanya yelled at me. "How are you over me? Did you meet someone else?" She asked. I decided to tell her the fucking truth so she would back off.

"If you must fucking know I did meet someone else," I told her, looking into Bella's eyes. She beamed at me, and pushed my hand aside. She pressed me against the seat and contorted her body so she could climb on top of me. I froze. She straddled me while I was on the phone with Tanya. Buh-bye coherency.

"Since when?" She snapped.

"I met her last week," I forced out of my mouth. Bella had started kissing the side of my neck. I astounded myself with my fucking genius when I tilted my head to the side. Bella nipped lightly at my neck and a moan turned cough escaped my mouth.

"Are you with her now?" Tanya asked at my awkward sound. "You are aren't you? Where are you Edward? I want to talk to you. I want to meet her."

"You are out of your mind if you think you are going to meet her," I retorted. She was out of her fucking mind.

"Please Edward... If you have moved on, I want to see that you're happy." I didn't believe her for one second. She sounded too calm and too forgiving for the Tanya I used to know.

"You think...Do you – think I...uh, ha...buy that?" I asked in a choppy voice. Bella had lifted up my shirt and was kissing and licking all along my chest and my abs. "Sorry I'm a little busy can I call you back?" I asked Tanya, my voice cracking like I was hitting puberty.

"Edward can you please just talk to me," she begged. I rolled my eyes as Bella began lifting up my shirt. _Holy fuck. _

"Give me a sec," I told Tanya. I put the phone down on the seat and stuck my tongue in Bella's mouth. She was being so fucking sexy it wasn't even fair. She kept trying to get my shirt off and I let her. She pulled it over my head and I helped her get it off of my shoulders. We resumed our kiss when my shirt was somewhere in the front seat. I eagerly pressed my tongue against hers and she reciprocated, grinding her hips down onto me. I choked back a groan and broke our kiss. I kissed all along her neck and swept my tongue along the top of her breast. She moaned loudly. "Shh," I told her, picking the phone up off the seat.

"Tanya?" I said into the phone.

"Edward can we please just meet and talk. Over coffee or something." I rolled my eyes. I put the microphone away from my mouth.

"She wants to talk over coffee," I whispered to Bella. She lifted her head from my neck and rested her forehead against mine. She nodded.

"Just do it already," she giggled. "No pun intended." I kissed her on the lips before I put the phone back to my mouth.

"Okay...Tanya we can meet for coffee. But Bella comes too," there was silence on Tanya's end of the line.

"Does she have to come?" Tanya asked.

"You said you wanted to meet her," I reminded her, she scoffed.

"Fine, meet me at the Starbucks on fifth in ten minutes." _Click. _I snapped my phone shut and tossed it on the seat.

"She wants to meet us at the Starbucks in ten minutes," I told Bella, who had just been tracing circles on my chest. She looked slightly indifferent. Neither here nor there. I lifted her chin with my finger. "Hey," I said to her. "What's up?"

"Not a thing," she replied. She really didn't look like it was bothering her.

"This isn't bothering you?"

"Not really. I mean if this is what will get her off your back then I think we should just go see her. You can live the weekend in peace."

"Well I was kind of looking forward to spending it with you," I told her, winking. She kissed me.

"You still can. Just because you have to sleep in your own room doesn't mean that we can't still spend time together. And you owe me another date. This one will be tainted," she told me, placing her warm hands on my sides. I felt bad for letting Tanya ultimately ruin the date.

"I'm sorry I ruined our date."

"Don't be ridiculous. I had the best time. Best. Date. Ever," she said, smiling. I kissed her again tenderly. She was so understanding. I couldn't comprehend how I found such a perfect person.

"You are amazing. But I think we need to find our shirts. How do I always end up topless Bella?" I asked her jokingly. I rubbed her bare back lightly with my finger tips and she giggled.

"You're telling me that you haven't wanted to take my shirt off before tonight?" She answered my question with a question. Sneaky. But she had a point.

"I never said that. I just wanted to know why my shirt always ends up scattered."

"I didn't like the colour you were wearing," she began, laughing. "I prefer the nude colour on you," she told me, blushing.

"Same here," I said, kissing her blushing cheek.

After we had gotten dressed and picked up our various other scattered items, we sped away from our peaceful lake. We left the scene of the 'Best date ever' and grudgingly made our way to 'Hell's Starbucks'.


	10. Declarations at Hell's Starbucks

**A/N: **Alright...I flop between POV's a lot in this chapter. I don't know why...I thought it was more effective. Gives the reader more insight : )

**B.P.O.V**

"Are you sure?" Edward asked me as we pulled into the Starbucks parking lot. "I mean you can wait in the car if you don't want to meet her."

"Would you rather that I came with you or I stayed here?" I looked at him as he came to a stop.

"Well I don't really want my girlfriend to meet my ex but if you want to," he said. I was speechless. He called me his girlfriend. I turned a deep red and he brought his hand to my face. He stared into my eyes with intensity.

"Your girlfriend?" I sputtered out. He smiled a little.

"Aren't you?" He asked. "We'll go on a few more dates, see each other and talk all the time. And in what a week call it official? Why not just call you mine now?" He brushed his thumb across my cheek. I was _his._ I smiled at him and the butterflies went fucking berserk. I nodded.

"Makes more sense," I agreed. "If you're my boyfriend then I'm not leaving you alone with your ex. I come too," I decided, kissing his hand. He smiled, and leant his head down to kiss me on the lips.

"Let's get this over with," he groaned, getting out of the car. I decided to save him the trouble and got out of the car myself. He waited for me as I walked to him and we entered the Starbucks hand-in-hand. The coffee shop was warm and inviting which was a stark fucking contrast to what I was about to face. My godly boyfriend's inhumanly beautiful ex-girlfriend. I wanted to die. But I was sucking it up...for Edward's sake. He towed me over to a small booth that Tanya was sitting at and I followed him. Tanya stood up when we got to the table. She was wearing red high heels with a short black skirt and a tight red sweater on her top. She looked stunning, and I felt severely underdressed. Her long strawberry blond hair was flowing down her back and it was styled perfectly straight.

"Hey," she smiled at Edward. She leaned in to hug him and he reciprocated, keeping a firm grip on my hand.

"Hi Tanya," he said, hastily pulling away and back to my side. "This is Bella," he said, motioning to me.

"It's good to meet you," I said to her. She looked down on me. It was like she was the popular girl in school and I had stolen the popular jock from under her nose.

"Yeah, you too," she said back. Like I believed her. She probably hated me. She sat back down in the booth and Edward followed onto the opposite side.

"Do you want anything? I'm going to get a tea," I told him. He smiled at me.

"Yeah, mind getting me a coffee?" He asked.

"Anything in it?"

"Milk and sugar," Edward and Tanya both replied at the same time.

"I still remember," she said, looking at Edward. He shot her a look but quickly looked back to me.

"Here," Edward said, reaching into his back pocket. He pressed his credit card into my palm. I hated and loved that he paid for me. I shook my head at him and he rolled his eyes.

"Bella just take it," he said, pressing the card further into my hand.

"Fine," I told him, smiling. I walked away from the table to let them talk alone and went to the line-up.

**E.P.O.V**

Bella let go of my hand with my credit card in hers and left me to my own fucking personal hell. I reluctantly turned to face Tanya who had a sour look on her face.

"She seems nice," Tanya said, crossing her arms.

"Don't even start; I don't want to hear what you think about Bella. I just came here so I could tell you so stop bothering me."

"But why? I mean you can't tell me that you haven't thought about me." She seductively stared.

"I actually haven't. I mean...what are you even doing here Tanya?" We hadn't talked in months, and she randomly called me out of the blue. "We haven't talked in months. And don't bullshit me either. I want the truth." She bit her lip.

"Okay...I give. When we broke up I was upset Edward. I loved you, and you broke up with me over stupid fucking Lauren Mallory."

"Tanya you barged into my Bio class and assaulted her with flatworms. Then you tripped her in the middle of the cafeteria...can you say bitch?" She had a tiny smile on her face. She thought it was fucking hilarious.

"Anyways...after we broke up I was broken, and hurt and just wanted to make the hurt go away. So when you went on vacation for half the summer I was stuck back in Port Angeles and I had nothing better to do..." she trailed off. I could tell that she had done something she didn't want to confess.

"Spit it out Tanya."

"James and I got really close." I clenched my teeth. He was my fucking arch nemesis back in Port Angeles. He had watched Tanya like a fucking hawk when we were dating, always eye-fucking the shit out of her. I always wanted to kick his ass. I just shrugged at her. I didn't really need to hear this shit. I didn't care anymore.

"So you fucked him?" I asked her. She stared at me, unblinking. But nodded her head.

"Why are you telling me this?" She drove all the way here to tell me this. What was the point?

"I uh...being with James was _nothing_ like being with you Edward," she said, grabbing my hand. I closed my eyes and breathed out.

"Please let go of my hand," I told her, my temper flaring. She fucking knew that I was moving on and she needed to let me go.

"Edward please take me back. I need to be with you again." So she came here to confess her slutty rendezvous with James and tell me how much better in bed I was than him. If she thought she could stroke my ego like that she was sorely mistaken. I could care a less that she fucked James and I could care a less that I was better than he had been. I pulled my hand away from hers and put it in my lap.

"Okay well if you're not going to take me back...can we at least have a bonus night?" She asked, stroking my leg with her foot under the table. _She cannot be fucking serious. _I just introduced her to my girlfriend and she was asking me to fuck her. She needed a psychiatrist.

"Are you fucking kidding," I said. When I did, Bella returned. With two cups, one in each hand.

"I can...come back," Bella started. We were leaving.

"No, were leaving Bella."

"Edward please don't leave!" Tanya blurted.

"Just go home Tanya. Don't call me again. Or I'll fucking change my number." I got out of the booth and left with Bella. She handed me the cup when we were walking out the door. I made my way to the car angry as all hell. I thought I heard Bella say something behind me and when I turned to face her, Bella's hair was grasped in Tanya's hands and she was shouting in pain. That fucking stupid-assed bitch. I dropped my coffee and I lunged at them.

**B.P.O.V**

We left the Starbucks and Edward thundered towards the Volvo, obviously mad. I wondered what in the hell she had said to him. As I kept walking I heard the door open behind me and before I even had a thought I felt a pair of hands grip my hair and yank back. I was so caught off guard that I didn't even scream.

"He's mine," Tanya's angry voice whispered in my ear. She pulled back on my hair and I cried out in pain. She was ripping my hair out of my head. I dropped my tea and it splashed all over the parking lot. I cried out again, wincing at the pain she was causing. I felt Edward's electricity almost instantly and he tried to pry Tanya from my hair. I felt her hands shove against my back and I fell to the ground in tears. I put my hands out in front of me to break my fall and they scraped against the pavement. I quickly turned my body so I was lying on my back rather than my face and I saw Edward gripping Tanya by the shoulders.

"Are you fucking insane!" He yelled at her.

"She can't have you Edward. Just because you're screwing her doesn't mean you love her!" She spat at Edward. She was so off it was almost funny.

He began pushing her away from me, back to the concrete wall.

"For your fucking information, I'm not screwing her. And I should also inform you th..." they had walked so far away that I no longer heard them talking. He pressed her against the concrete wall with his hand on her shoulders still. He said a few more words to her before he let her go. I saw a brief glimpse of Tanya's face when Edward released her. Her mouth was gaping and she had a single tear streaming down her face. I rubbed my eyes clear of my own tears and Edward bent down next to me.

"I'm so sorry," he said with pain coating his voice. He wiped my wet face with his jacket sleeve and fixed my hair for me.

"Its ok – kay," I managed to sputter out at him. He slid his hands under my waist and picked me up. He carried me to the Volvo and set me gently into the passenger seat. He closed my door after kissing me lightly on the forehead and got into the driver's seat. He was burning fucking rubber while he peeled out of the parking lot and took off back to campus. Our amazing date had turned into a nightmare and I just wanted to curl up and go to bed. Erase the last fifteen minutes of my life and never think about it again.

**E.P.O.V**

I heard Bella emit another cry of pain and my hands met Tanya's. Before I could pry her completely away she shoved Bella down onto the ground. _She did not just fucking do that. _

"What the hell Tanya!" I shouted furiously at her. I grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"Are you fucking insane?"

"She can't have you Edward. Just because you're screwing her doesn't mean you love her!" She venomously spat at me. I started towing her away, because I just needed to tell her. I hadn't even made myself think about it because I thought_ I_ was crazy. And I really didn't want to tell this to Tanya first, but it would help her let me go.

"For your fucking information, I'm not screwing her." I walked her backwards until I thought we were out of Bella's earshot; I dropped my voice a little.

"And I should also inform you that..." I trailed off. I didn't want to tell her this; her of all people.

"I'm not just randomly...dating Bella. I've known her for about a week, and she's – I can't explain it Tanya." I couldn't believe I was admitting this. I had barely even thought about it myself and for the brief second that I had thought about it I had thought I was fucking insane.

"I'm in love with her."

I stared into her eyes when I told her this so she would get the point. I had loved Tanya, sure, but I was never _in _love with her. She just stared back, with a slightly pained and slightly shocked expression. She blinked, and her eyes glazed over with tears.

"What?" She managed to gasp.

"Tanya, please," I begged. "I'm in love with her and there's no way you can get me back. I'm with Bella now. You've got to accept that. Please." She nodded her head after a minute, and just stood there, motionless.

"Goodbye Tanya," I said to her.

"Bye Edward," she sputtered, a single tear rolling down her cheek. I turned around and saw my broken beautiful girlfriend crying on the ground. My heart ached, and although I hadn't even admitted it to myself before, I was in love with her from the moment I met her. Who cares if it's only been a week since I've met her? I would have fallen for her eventually...because she's everything I ever wanted. I bent down next to her and wiped my girl's tears away with my sleeve. I hated to see her cry...it broke my heart. Her hair was everywhere from the fall and it was covering part of her face. I brushed it away.

"I'm so sorry," I told her sadly. I was so fucking furious that Tanya had done this to her. Now that I had admitted to myself...and my ex...that I was in love with Bella I felt more than protective of her. She sputtered a broken 'okay' and I gently slipped my hands around her waist and picked her up. I treated her as if she was a porcelain doll so that I didn't hurt her fragile body. When I placed her in the car I lightly pressed my lips against her forehead. I thought it was a little too early in our relationship to tell her that I loved her, considering only a half hour ago I had called her my girlfriend for the first time. So I just closed her door and hastily jumped into the Volvo without a glance backwards at Tanya. I peeled out of the parking lot and made my way back to campus.

**B.P.O.V**

When we got back to our dorm Edward stayed with me for a bit and we both explained to Alice and Jasper what had happened. Alice had put some antiseptic on my hands and slapped her signature Winnie the Pooh band-aid on the palm of my hand. She always took care of me when I was hurt; she was a lot like my mother in that respect. I felt better once I was all bandaged up and Edward had assured me that Tanya had left for good. I had wondered what he had said to her in the parking lot to make her go away and give her that god awful tortured face. But I decided against asking him. I was just glad that she was gone. My first official date with my _boyfriend_, Edward freaking Cullen, had been effectively ruined. No good date consisted of tears and band-aids. This I had already known. But he vowed diligently to make it up to me. He told me that Monday would be our next date. I had class until nine, but he told me that we would start our date by eating an early dinner before my class and then he would escort me to my building. After lecture he would be waiting for me in the student center and we would then leave to go to a late movie.

Monday came all too quickly and I was back in the rhythm of classes. I was thankful that I was learning something of actual interest; at least I wouldn't fall asleep in class. That would be embarrassing on account of my sleep-talking. During the day I had just decided to throw on a pair of jeans and a comfy sweater. Alice would pick me out the perfect outfit when I was done class and ready for the dinner/class/movie. As I was waiting for Alice in our room after my class I was thinking about the tainted date. It was really only the last half hour that was tainted. I remembered how he'd thrown me roughly down on the seat and how much I had liked it. I remembered how his soft kisses touched my neck with the perfect amount of tenderness and roughness. I remembered how he had moaned and groaned when I'd pressed my hips into him. And above all I had remembered that I could _feel _how much he wanted me. I sighed as I thought about Edward. After being with him constantly for this past week I had convinced myself that I was ready for sex...well at the very least I was ready for sex with Edward. I was sure that he was the only one that I had ever considered to give myself to. Sure with Tyler Crowley I had allowed the rough, callous make-out session, but I didn't want to have sex with him. Alice walked in the room then and snapped me out of my reverie.

"Hey," she greeted me.

"Hey Al, what's up?"

"Class is kind of boring still. In art history we're learning about painting techniques. Ugh," she groaned, sticking her finger in her mouth like she was going to gag herself.

"They'll pick up I'm sure," I told her, smiling. She gave me a small smile and dropped her bag to the floor. "So what will I be wearing tonight?"

"Ooh!" She shrieked, apparently forgetting that I was again her Barbie tonight. "Well I had this really great idea! Because I noticed that Edward seems to like the way you look in a skirt." She said this with a devilish smirk. She monitored Edward's responses to my outfits...okay maybe my best friend was a little nuts.

"Alice you actually notice things like that?"

"Of course Bella!" She acted like it was the most normal thing in the world. "I remember last Wednesday when he came here to get you his jaw hit the floor! I know you probably don't realize it because you're too busy staring at him, but he stares back." I turned red. Oh god. "Don't get embarrassed. That's a good thing. But I think that tonight for your date you should definitely wear a skirt. He likes it."

"Okay," I replied, still blushing. I supposed that Edward wouldn't be a dickhead like Mike had been. But I couldn't kid myself either. If Edward rubbed his hands – his beautiful, strong, sexy hands – along my thigh, I wouldn't be able to stop him even if I wanted to; which I probably wouldn't. Wearing a skirt tonight could be either fucking stupid, or fucking brilliant. It was that line between genius and insanity. I was walking along it, teetering and tottering back and forth, being threatened to fall onto either side. Deciding that I couldn't keep up my walls and stay in my shallow reserve forever, I told Alice I'd wear the skirt. I had to get over this aversion sometime, and I thought I knew Edward well enough to trust him. If it was anyone else in the world that was taking me on this date I knew that I would cower in fear of wearing a skirt on another date...but I somehow didn't feel my usual panic. My Edward would never hurt me like that; this I knew for a fact.

Alice got me ready a little while later and again curled my hair and did my make-up to her liking. I got changed into my navy blue skirt. It wasn't as short as the other skirts I had which I was thankful for. To go with it, Alice had picked out a long sleeved crimson red shirt for me to wear and I had decided to wear a light jacket over top of it because it would be colder later on. Edward came to the door twenty minutes or so after I was dressed and I answered it with my keys, my phone and my book bag in hand.

"Hey," I greeted, leaning my head against the door frame. He was wearing a plain blue shirt that clung to perfectly sculpted muscles flawlessly. He was holding his jacket in one hand and he had a single beautiful white orchid in the other. I blushed furiously when I looked at the flower. The butterflies by this point in our relationship were always fluttering about in a mad craze. He handed me the flower and I took it, smelling the middle of it. He smiled at me.

"An early birthday present," he told me, grabbing my hand. I slightly frowned.

"I said no presents Edward."

"Bella I can't _not _get my girlfriend something for her eighteenth birthday. You have to be out of your mind if you think I'm going to listen to you. Just please let me do this for you," he told me, tracing a circle on the back of my hand.

I huffed a little, because this was something that I was adamant about. I really didn't like people buying me things; it made me feel like I owed them something. But I agreed. Because I couldn't stand to see him wear that upset and pleading face.

"Okay. You can get me a present. One present Edward," I told him. Insisting that it only be one gift. He nodded.

"I can live with that," he said, smiling again. "You ready?"

"Yep," I told him, holding up my full hands. I set the flower down on my desk and Alice told me she'd somehow put it in water. I thanked her and left the room to go get dinner with Edward.

**E.P.O.V**

Our dinner had been noisy and interrupted. I had insisted on paying for hers and when we were eating and talking Jessica had to come up and fucking started babbling away. Bella had told me about how Jessica had apologized for her behaviour and that they were on speaking terms. So I was fucking pissed that I wasn't having my much needed alone time with Bella, and that made me cranky. Even though I knew we'd have time to ourselves after it was never enough. I could never get enough of her and I never wanted her to leave. Ever since I had admitted to myself that I was somehow impossibly in love with this beautiful, funny, sweet, loving, sexy, smart girl, I couldn't get enough of her. I always talked to her, and she was always more than happy to spend time with me. I wondered every fucking minute of the day if she was in love with me too, and sometimes I thought she was. But I had effectively only known her for a week, so I thought declarations of love at this point would sound utterly ridiculous. I knew that much myself but couldn't help the fact that that's the way I felt. Either way I was hopelessly in love with Bella Swan.

After dinner I walked Bella to her building, to the back of it, across the dark, dewy field, and said goodbye to her at the doors, where the only source of light was coming from. I battled with myself internally and forced myself to let her go. I was being completely ridiculous; I would see her again in two hours. As I walked away back to the student center I couldn't help but keep glancing over my shoulder to look back at the building, even though she was already gone. I trudged into the student center and made my way to the coffee stand. I wasn't going to go back to my room and then back here within the span of an hour and a half, it didn't seem practical. So I bought my coffee and sat in the crowded seating area, reading a book I had brought with me. I kept reading and drinking my coffee for about an hour and when I finally drained it, I got up to go get another. I wasn't desperately in need of caffeine, but I liked to be alert when I was with Bella. I wanted to be able to stay awake late too, because I had every intention of taking her back to the lake again, and just lying with her cradled in my arms underneath the stars. And tonight wasn't too cold out either. It was probably warmer than it had been on Friday. I was sitting in the student center, looking out over the dark, vast field that separated me from Bella and sighed. It was almost nine o'clock and she would be getting out of class soon. I'd told her to call me so I was ready, and I was anxiously awaiting her call after I had finished another chapter of my book.

Tapping my leg impatiently because it was ten after nine, I stood up...not sure what to do. Should I call her? Before I decided my phone rang and I sighed in relief. I put the phone to my ear only to quickly pull it away. It was fucking loud.

For the longest time all I heard was a lot of crunching and whooshing and just...noise.

"Bella?" I asked. Maybe she had called me by accident. "Bella?" I asked again. No reply.

"Edward!" I heard her yell into the phone. Her voice sounded far away.

"Bella?" I said again, my voice rose a bit.

I heard Bella's voice emit a blood curdling scream. The blood left my face, I started to shake.

Something was wrong.

"Bella!" I yelled into the phone. After a minute or two of silence she replied.

"Edward! Edward! Hel – help!" She yelled into the phone. Her voice was all strained and choppy. I felt my stomach fall out of my body. She was in pain, she needed my help. I didn't know where she was. I started to panic.

"Bella! Where are you?" I started yelling into the phone. My eyes started to sting. I heard another scream. I started panicking even more. Tears fell from my eyes and I bolted out of the student centre, abandoning my book and empty coffee cup. All that mattered was Bella.

**A/N: **I know! I'm evil! Sorry. Please review. Updates soon I promise!


	11. Violated

**A/N: **So this is pretty much the chapter I was dying to write. I had this idea when I first started writing. So I hope you all enjoy.

**B.P.O.V**

"And I'll leave you with this thought..." The prof droned on. "Think about what Williams is trying to say about society. What is the symbolism of the great gold figure?"

Did she seriously think that anyone was going to consider that question _at all_?

"Have a good evening, see you all next week." _Thank god! _I was really antsy and anxious to go on my date with Edward. It sounded promising. Sitting with him in a dark theatre eating salty popcorn and slurping over-priced coke. Maybe if he picked a scary movie I could pretend to be scared and cower into his arms so he could comfort me.

I grabbed my bag and took off towards the back door; it looked like I was the only one. Nobody went this way. I stepped out of the building into the very ill-illuminated section of concrete before my feet touched the wet grass. I was wearing flats so the water was dangerously creeping around the edge of my feet. It was all squishy and wet. I heard a raucous laughter coming from in front of me and hugged the wall. I forgot to call Edward. I pulled out my phone, and the laughter got closer. I looked up to find two frat guys, clearly intoxicated beyond what they should be on a school night. I shuffled along a little, nervously, trying to dial Edward's number. I moved to pass one of them and he said something to me.

"Hey there!" He said, slurring his words.

"Hello," I mumbled unthinkingly, it was a reflexive action. I kept walking.

"Wait," he said, moving closer to me. I didn't slow. "I said wait! What's your name beautiful?" He asked me. I rolled my eyes and kept walking, these guys were obviously hammered, and I had places to be. He kept following me though. I stopped hugging the wall of the building and started trudging along the grass, still feeling the moron behind me. When I looked up, I saw two more guys standing in front of me, about fifty yards away. I stopped. I looked behind me. The other two were approaching me from behind while I was being approached from the front. I realized then that I wasn't being followed.

I was being herded.

I gulped and started to panic.

One of the men from behind me was starting to get closer, and I just stared at him, wondering what he was possibly going to do. He was drunk that was for sure.

"Stay away from me," I tried to use my strongest voice. I had my phone in my hand, Edward's number half dialled. My hand started to shake as the thick heavy-set frat guy got closer to me, stumbling his way along.

"Don't be like that sugar," he told me. His breath reeked of vodka and if I wasn't so afraid and numb I would have snorted at him. I just stood there, shaking. I made to walk away but he grabbed my wrist. It was extremely dark in the middle of the field, and I was barely halfway across it. I tried to yank myself free but he wasn't letting me go. I heard an uproar of laughter come from behind me. I dialled the rest of Edward's number into the phone and tried to hit send, but the frat guy took the phone out of my hand and tossed it to the ground before I could. He then took my book bag off my shoulder and flung it to the ground as well. I whimpered.

"Leave me alo – alone," I told him, yanking my wrist back again. It most definitely was not going to work. I again heard the laughter coming from behind me. My eyes were stinging with the tears that were coming.

"Oh I'm not about to be doing that there baby," he told me, moving closer. I flinched, and kicked him in the shin. He let go of my wrist and I made a run for it. I dashed to my phone and hit send, putting it to my ear. Before Edward answered, the phone was knocked out of my hand and I was falling to the ground face first. I felt a sharp pain course through my side when he landed right on top of me. The frat guy hovered over top of me, flipping me over. I punched and kicked at him but he wouldn't budge. "I think we need to teach you a bit of a lesson," he told me, rubbing his greasy hand along my face. Then the tears came. They were flowing from me stinging my cheeks and rolling off my face. He rubbed his hand down my arms and hooked them onto my hips. I squirmed beneath him. "How do you work this thing?" He asked, leaning up off of me a bit. I squirmed relentlessly now, thrashing and yelling and crying. My voice couldn't go very high because it was too shaky. I remembered that Edward had probably picked up.

"Edward!" I yelled at the phone that was somewhere on the ground. I desperately hoped that he heard me. It was then that the frat guy slapped me hard on the cheek. The tears came faster and my cheek stung in pain. I sobbed unceasingly while he continued to fumble with my skirt. I heard one of the other frat guys drunkenly laughing from somewhere around us and it made me cry even more.

"How in the fuckinghelldoyou work this thing?" The frat guy asked me, slurring heavily. He was talking about my skirt; I clenched my eyes shut as more tears came. I shook my head. All I could think about was Edward. "No worries. Igotit," he said, pulling something from his pocket. He pulled a small silver contraption from his pocket and flipped it open; it was a pocket knife. My stomach fell and the tears wouldn't stop. Why did no one ever fucking come this way?

"Whoa man, what are you doing?" One of the frat guys with a deep booming voice asked the guy on top of me.

"Trying to get this fuckingthingoff," he replied, slurring his words yet again. I writhed relentlessly beneath him.

"Plea – please, let me go," I cried, begging him. He shook his head violently and put the knife to the bottom of my skirt. I squirmed and writhed. In his drunkenness he cut a deep gash into my leg while he tore the skirt right up to my hips. I emitted the loudest scream I had ever let escape my mouth in my life. I was bleeding like mad. I could feel it and I could smell it. I kept the tears flowing and tried to squirm on the dark, wet grass. I felt the frat guy feel all up my leg and his hand rested on the top of my skirt. He yanked it off and threw it aside, putting his hand back down and right onto my crotch.

"Edward! Edward! Hel – help!" I yelled again, hoping that he would hear me. This was my worst nightmare being realized. The frat guy dug his fingers into my panties and started twisting them into me. I emitted another loud scream as he jabbed and poked at me.

"Whoa man seriously, not cool. Don't rape the girl," one of the frat guys said, getting closer to us. He slowly kept getting closer, and I could hardly see him through the tears.

"Please...help me," I yelled to him, trying to extend my arm. The one on top of me growled and the others backed away. He seemed to be the irrational one. "Please!" I begged them. I was still crying and I couldn't see a fucking thing. All the while the frat guy had his whole fist in my panties and was feeling every part of me that I didn't even want him to see. I clenched my eyes shut tight and pushed against his shoulders. But he was too stocky. He was thick and heavy and there was no way that little old me would get him off. It was hopeless.

But then I heard him groan and he rolled off me, I saw that one of the other frat guys had kicked him. I tried to clear the tears from my eyes and began to run away, forgetting that my leg was wounded. I started to limp. I grabbed my phone off the ground but the call had been lost. I searched in panic for my book bag and saw it lying close to my phone. I didn't look back to see where the frat guys were, so I just kept limping my way across the lawn. I tried to dial Edward's number again to call him but I was too shaky and slippery and crying that I couldn't get the right numbers out. I limped toward the student center, my leg and my face throbbing in pain. Out of my blurriness I could see the lights of the student center and I could see a figure standing in front of it. I didn't even think.

"Edward!" I yelled, my voice raspy. "Edward!" I called again crying intensely and limping along. His eyes froze on me and within seconds he was sprinting. I tried to go faster too, willing myself to be in his arms, when I tripped over a rock, and was sent face first to the wet, hard grass. I sobbed into the dirt and I felt the electricity.

"Bella!" Edward yelled, flipping me over. I was crying so hard that I couldn't see his face. I could see him cover his mouth in shock though. "Bella..." he said, his voice sounding pained.

"Edward..."I cried, grasping for his shirt. I sobbed violently. He bent down and lifted my head.

"Oh my god..." he said, touching my leg. I winced in pain and cried even harder.

"It hurts –" I managed to sputter. I sobbed again.

"I'm sorry," he replied, taking his hand away. He put it to my good cheek. His warm hand against my cold cheek stung but it felt good. My crying was subsiding a little, and I took my hand and wiped the tears away from my eyes so I could look at him. He had tears running down his face too. I tried to reach my hand out and comfort him but I felt a tightening in my ribs. They must have been bruised from my fall. I pulled my hand back.

"Bella, what happened?" He asked, propping my head up on his lap. He stroked my hair gently and pulled his phone out. I just cried when he asked me what had happened. He dialled a number and put the phone to his ear.

"Alice call and ambulance, and come to the field between BHE and the student center. NOW!" He yelled into the phone, slamming it shut. "I'm so sorry Bella. I should have come get you." He rocked me back and forth slowly. I stopped crying. This was not his fault one bit.

"Edward...it's not yo – your fault...don't be rid – ridiculous." He slipped his arms underneath my waist and made to pull me up. He stood with me cradled in his arms and rocked me back and forth for a minute. I could hear him sobbing into my hair and I sobbed with him into his shoulder. I started to feel dizzy and nauseas as I began replaying the events in my head. I could also smell the nauseating aroma of my blood.

"Edward!" I heard Alice's frantic voice yell. She came running at us with full speed and told him she had called an ambulance.

"Alice," I cried softly, tears streaming down my face again.

At the sight of me she instantly started bawling.

"Bella!" She sputtered, running to my side. She touched my leg and covered her mouth. She mouthed the words 'oh my god' and the tears were still rolling. Seeing her cry and Edward cry was making me cry more. I heard the sirens of an ambulance a second later and my head snapped up. Edward made his way to the street which was a five minute walk the other direction and he carried me the entire way there. I didn't even remember getting into the ambulance, I had passed out already.

Beaten. Broken. Crying. Dirty. And Violated.

**E.P.O.V**

I paced around the hospital room; watching Bella like a hawk. I saw her chest rise and fall every few seconds and I was thankful that her beautiful little chest had movement. I didn't even think of the possibility of what would have happened to her had we not found each other. I shuddered. She stirred in the bed, her face tensing. I stopped my pacing and went to her side. Her face contorted and she started to whimper.

"No," she started to whine. A single tear fell from her eyes. I felt my heart rate speed up; she was reliving the whole fucking thing. I sat on the side of her bed and put my hand to her face. It relaxed almost immediately. I rubbed her cheek with my hand and studied the sizable bruise forming on her left cheek. I clenched my jaw and willed myself not to cry. I just stared at the girl I loved and I couldn't picture my life without her. If something had happened to her...If something bad...I didn't even want to think about it. I sighed, trying to stay calm, and kept rubbing her cheek. Alice came back in the room then.

"Hey," she whispered, handing me a coffee. We had been here for hours while Bella slept. It was almost morning by now. How motherfucking horrible. She's in the hospital for her birthday.

"Thanks," I told Alice, taking a sip. I swished the hot liquid around in my mouth and it woke me up. I downed the entire cup before Alice even drank half of hers, and I never took my eyes off Bella; not once. About a half hour later I saw her stir and her swollen, red eyes fluttered open. I jumped up and immediately went to her side.

"Hey," I said, stroking the top of her head. She gave me the weakest smile I had seen her ever give me. My heart wrenched.

"Hey," she replied glumly. She looked like she was in pain.

"How are you feeling? Are you hurting anywhere?" She nodded and another tear fell from her eyes. I couldn't stand this. Seeing her like this was my own personal form of torture.

"Where does it hurt love?" I asked, kneeling by her side, putting my face closer. She moved her head slightly closer to mine and she sniffled.

"All over," she replied in a small voice. I gently brushed my thumb along the unbruised part of her bad cheek and she winced a little.

"Want me to get a nurse?" I asked. Maybe she could get some more painkillers and sleep it off. She shook her head. She was so stubborn. One of the many reasons why I was madly in love with her. Last night had showed me just how much I really truly loved Bella. When I saw her limping towards me wearing nothing but her panties my stomach was literally laying on the pavement. I dashed to her without even thinking. In that moment I knew that I couldn't bear to live without her. I just could never exist again in a world where Bella wasn't mine.

"No. I want to stay awake," she told me, reaching her hand out from under the blanket. I took her hand in mine and gripped it tightly. I never wanted to let go. "Where's Alice?" Bella asked, swerving her head a little. She found her.

"Hey Bells," Alice said softly, sitting on the other side of the bed. Alice brushed Bella's hair away from her face and lovingly rubbed her hand on the back of Bella's head. "I called Charlie," she told her. Bella tensed, and then started to cry. My heart was going through so many emotions that I thought it would start to cry soon too. "He's on his way here," Alice then told her, rubbing her head gently. I was gripping Bella's hand firmly and she gripped back just as hard despite her fragile state. When Bella had stopped crying she just lay there, motionless.

"When will he be here?" Bella asked Alice.

"As soon as he can. Might be a while, he's driving from Forks." That was a far drive. I had done that drive with Emmett on the way here. It was a few days trek to New Hampshire. Bella nodded her head at Alice.

"Do you mind if I talk to Edward in private Al?" She asked her sweetly. Alice shook her head.

"Not a problem, I'll be outside." Alice swiftly and elegantly got off the bed and silently left the room.

Bella turned to me and I just took in every single feature of her beautiful, bruised face.

"I don't..." she started. "Edward –" She was stuttering now. "I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am that you found me..." She was sobbing a little. I turned her face and kissed her lightly on her good cheek.

"I can't imagine if I hadn't," I told her truthfully. She shuddered. "Will you tell me what happened?" She was crying a little more now and I tried to calm her down. I sat up on the bed and pulled her up with me and put her head to my chest; trying to be as careful as possible. She sniffled.

"I was leaving the building when I heard some drunken guys laughing." I immediately tensed. I didn't fucking like the sounds of that. "When I was walking they were talking to me and trying to get my attention. The one guy eventually grabbed my hand and threw my phone to the ground," she sniffed again. "I dialled your number and hit send before he jumped me and started..." She trailed off, sobbing into my chest. "When he couldn't figure out how to...how to get my skirt off..." She continued. I was fucking like a marble statue I was so unmoving. "He pulled out a pocket knife and decided to cut it off of me. His hands faltered because he was drunk and he dug the knife into my leg." She wasn't crying as much now, but I was so fucking mad and angry and upset and furious that I felt like crying. But I was staying composed for my girl's sake. "After that he pulled it off and threw it aside." I heard her gulp. Oh no...I tensed even more...if that was even fucking possible. "And he..." she started crying now, gripping my shirt. "He stuck his hand...down there," she motioned to her crotch. "And it was painful," she cried into my shirt. I couldn't help it now. Tears welled over my eyes and flew down my face at a rapid rate. I kissed the top of her head. "Edward it was awful," she said, sobbing. "One of the other frat guys kicked him off..." she paused to sniffle. "And I made a run for it." I silently cried into her hair. A motherfucking drunken asshole frat guy tried to...no not tried to...he _did _violate my girlfriend. I cried into Bella's hair and it smelled like soggy grass. I didn't care though; I just needed to hold her in my arms. She cried with me and stroked my arm.

"I'm so glad I found you," I choked out. Rocking her back and forth a little. "I know that it might not be worth much right now," I started, through the tears. She pulled away and looked up at me with bloodshot eyes. "But happy birthday," I told her, giving her a tight smile. It was the most I could muster, but it worked. I got a cute little smile from my girl and I kissed her very, _very _gently on the mouth. She kissed back for a moment but pulled away; I assumed it was because her whole body must have been aching. "And I don't have a gift for you...so there's something else for you to be happy about," I told her. I was going to go out this morning because I had known what I was going to get her.

I quickly got an idea into my head. I could give her a gift.

But if I said those three little words to her...would it change things?

"Thanks," she told me, smiling wider now. _There's my Bella. _"It's okay; you don't have to get me a present. I like it better this way anyways." I kissed her on the forehead and decided that now was the time.

"Actually..." I started, nervous as fucking hell. What if she didn't say it back? I gulped. "I do have a small gift." She looked at me puzzled.

"What is it?" She asked, trying to roll her eyes. If only she knew what I was about to say to her.

"Okay. Here goes." She stared deep into my eyes with her gorgeous penetrating brown ones. _You can do this Edward. Don't be a pussy. _"Bella, the past week of my life has been...well amazing to say the least." She started blushing on her good cheek. Her bad cheek was too bruised for me to tell. I rubbed my thumb along it. "And I hope it has been for you too." She nodded her little head and nuzzled her face into my hand. _I love when she does that. _"Good. And while we have been spending time together I've...well...Bella I don't really know how else to say this. And you don't have to say anything back. But...I thought that you should know." She stared deep into my eyes. The blush from her cheeks gone in seriousness.

"I love you."

**B.P.O.V**

We just sat crying in each other's arms for a while once I had told him what happened. I was crying because I was reliving the pain and agony, and also because it hurt Edward so much. I was so relieved that he had found me...I was also thankful to which ever frat guy that kicked the other one off of me. Edward stroked my hair and I squeezed his arm gently and we both sat there silently crying and gripping each other like the other would disappear if we let go. After he'd apologized for not getting me a present I was relieved even more. I was happy that he hadn't gotten me a present, and so when he told me that he had gotten me a small gift I frowned a little, but listened to him.

"What is it?" I asked, rolling my eyes as best I could.

"Okay. Here goes," he started, staring at me. It seemed like he was telling me some deep dark secret, not my birthday present. I just listened intently. "Bella, the past week of my life has been...well amazing to say the least." I blushed when he said this. In all honesty it had been for me too. Edward was fantastic and sweet and sexy and kind and good looking and smart and funny. He rubbed his thumb along my cheek and continued. "And I hope it has been for you too." Of course it had been! Was he crazy? I nodded my head as fervently as I could and nudged my face into his hand affectionately. "Good. And while we have been spending time together I've...well...Bella I don't really know how else to say this. And you don't have to say anything back. But...I thought that you should know." I almost stopped breathing, and I certainly wasn't blushing anymore. Nothing was embarrassing or funny. I just stared at him, and anticipated what he was going to say.

"I love you."

The words shot out of his lips and pierced my heart like an arrow. My heartbeat became irregular and my breathing heavy. _He loved me. _He loved me and I was staring at him like a moron. I thought about our last week. I loved being with Edward, I loved talking to Edward, I loved when Edward touched me...anywhere. I _hated _being away from Edward...even for a little while. My heart jumped at my conclusion. I loved him too. I mean I was _in love _with him. When I had seen him last night I just needed to be in his warm, comforting arms. I was in love with him. And somehow it seemed that this beautiful god loved me back. I smiled at him after a minute of silence. He relaxed. I leant up and kissed his sexy, smooth lips; but only for a moment. I pulled away and put my good cheek against his chin.

"I love you too," I replied, now looking up into his eyes. He gently cupped my good cheek and kissed me again. I felt the love and warmth surge through him and into me. I reciprocated as best I could in the state that I was in. Despite what had happened the night before I was floating on some fucked up cloud nine right now. From the first moment I saw Edward I was hooked. His eyes drew me in. And then when I spent the day with him I was done for. We had such a spark and such a connection that I felt like the only person in the world when I was with him. Of course I was in love with him. He was everything I ever even dreamed of having. Dreamed being the operative word. I never thought that my dream man would come to life. And the fact that he was not only incredibly smart and kind and funny and amazing, but also sexy and good-looking was the biggest plus. I parted my mouth slightly because I wanted to deepen our soft kiss, and he did the same. He slipped his warm tongue in my mouth and he tasted like coffee. _Mmm, coffee. _That sounded good right about now. I kept pressing my tongue against his and he was hesitant but he kept going along with me; until we heard the knock on the door. I pulled away from him very reluctantly, but told him not to move. I wanted to keep him close.

"Come in," I said in a small voice. I sounded like I had been yelling at a concert the night before. I wish that had been the case. The door opened and my jaw almost hit the floor. It was a tall, broad-shouldered frat guy. His dark hair was cut short and his face was almost babyish but very good looking. I recognized him immediately. He was the one who had kicked the other one off of me last night. He was the one I was forever in debt to for saving my helpless self. Edward's face contorted into a funny expression and I couldn't make out what it was. I would tell him soon.

"Hey," the frat guy's voice boomed into the small room.

"Hey," Edward replied, that look still on his face. I felt like they knew each other. I shrugged it off.

"You're the one from last night right?" I asked the tall, burly frat guy. He nodded his head and Edward stood up in a defensive position. Now a look of pure hatred and disgust coming over his face.

"WHAT!" Edward yelled in the frat guy's face.

"No Edward, he was the one who helped me," I told him, grabbing his arm. He immediately relaxed and sat back down, still looking at the other guy. "I'm Bella," I told him, extending my little hand to reach his giant one. He took it and shook it for a second before releasing me. "I don't even know how to thank you," I told him, feeling a great amount of gratitude towards this person. He gave me a small half-smile that didn't touch his eyes. For some reason it seemed like he was usually a happy person and right now he wasn't.

"Bella there's no need to repay me. I shouldn't have even let it get that far. What he did was inexcusable." I nodded, thankful that he helped me at all. He then turned to Edward. "I kicked him out of the frat house and told the Dean what he'd done. He's being charged and expelled from the school." Edward then nodded his head. A small tear escaped Edward's eye and he stood up to embrace the big frat guy in a hug. I was very confused. They had to know each other.

"No worries," the frat guy said in Edward's ear.

"Em, I don't even...if you hadn't....I just don't know what I would have done," Edward said. _Click._ All the pieces of information fell together. This was Edward's brother; Emmett. They of course didn't look alike because that was impossible, which is why I wondered how they knew each other.

"Like I said. I should have stopped it earlier. I was drunk and I just didn't think...I mean he always takes things way too far – but that was going fucking overboard," Emmett said, his deep voice growling. Emmett pounded Edward on the back and they parted. Edward sat back down next to me and looked down to meet my eyes.

"I know you've probably figured it out by now, but this is my brother Emmett," Edward said to me. I nodded my head.

"Nice to meet you Bella," Emmett said, smiling a playful smile. He reminded me of a giant teddy bear...sans fluffy interior and soft exterior.

"Emmett this is the girl I was telling you about," Edward said. I blushed a deep red. He had been talking about me to his brother. _Well duh, he loves you. _I smiled inwardly.

"I'm glad my little bro finally found a chick that looks like she even has brains at all," Emmett joked. I laughed a little, and clutched my rib.

"Ouch," I said, wincing in pain. Edward looked concernedly at me. "My ribs," I informed him.

"You have a fractured rib love," he said to me sweetly, cupping my cheek. I frowned a little. "Just relax." I lay down on the pillow like Edward instructed and breathed in deep. It hurt to do that; I made a mental note to myself not to breathe in deep again.

"I'm glad you're alright Bella," Emmett said. I smiled at him in thanks.

"Thanks a lot Emmett," I told him with the deepest amount of gratitude. "Edward when can I go home?" I hated being in the hospital and since my clumsiness used to be my greatest downfall I had been a regular around hospital beds. And I wasn't a fan. They were hard and uncomfortable. I shifted on the bed.

"I'm not too sure. They've fixed the fracture but it will take some time to heal, you'll have to wear a tensor around your ribs for a while. And they stitched up your leg. You got twenty seven stitches there." I got twenty seven stitches! Oh god. I hadn't even looked at my leg since the incident. I lifted up the blanket and looked down to my left leg. My left side had gotten it pretty good yesterday. My leg was red and irritated. The stitches pulled the skin tightly back together and it hurt to move even a little. The gash was right along my mid-thigh. I set the blanket back over it and pouted my bottom lip. I wanted out of the bloody hospital. "And the only other thing is that there's a bruise on you cheek," Edward then said to me. I nodded, I could feel it. "And I'm not sure about...you know..." He said this trailing off. I knew what he meant. My own personal private place that I hadn't even let Edward close to touching yet. That sick, twisted fuck had stuck his fingers right up there. And I was sure that there was blood. But today it didn't hurt...and I was thankful. I shook my head at him.

"It doesn't hurt," I told him, rubbing his arm affectionately. He nodded into my hair and pulled away. "Will you ask the doctor for me when I can go home?"

"Sure. Anything for you," he whispered into my ear. "I'll go get Alice." Oh...right. Alice. I had forgotten all about her for the moment. And Charlie too. My heart fluttered. Charlie was on his way here right now to see me. And I missed my dad so much. And he would get to meet my boyfriend; who I loved very much. Everyone that I cared about – with the exception of my mom – would be with me. As long as I had that...I was going to be alright.

**A/N: **Yeah so I decided to throw a little bit of Emmett-y goodness in there for good measure! Everyone loves him. And let me know what you think!


	12. Charlie

**B.P.O.V**

I was able to leave the hospital two days later. A _long _two days later. But I didn't care that I was there for a long two days. Edward had barely left my side. We spent the entire two days talking and watching movies together and just being completely in love. Although I had the trauma of that night haunting my dreams, I had Edward by my side to help it go away.

"Ready to go?" Edward asked, coming in the door. I nodded at him as I sat on the bed with my crutches. They were necessary to help me stay off my leg for a while. I thought it was a pretty good idea myself because I was resuming my clumsy ways once again and I didn't want to end up breaking the damn thing. I smiled at him when he came over to help me up. "You know how to work those?" He asked, smiling back.

"We'll see," I told him, laughing. My ribs still hurt a little and I had the bandage around them to keep from damaging them more. I stood on my good leg with my crutches on the ground. Edward helped me up and I slipped my armpits underneath the crutches while I came to a stand. He let me go and I wobbled a little, but stood my ground pretty firmly. It was walking that would be the trouble. Edward had the overnight bag that Alice had retrieved for me and he followed me as I hobbled out of the room. I made my way down the hall and since Edward had already taken care of my release, we walked out the automatic doors and he led me to the Volvo. I braced myself against the car and gave him my crutches so I could lower myself in. He passed the crutches back and got into the driver's seat.

"Charlie will be here today," I remembered, looking out the window. "You'll get to meet him." Edward gave me a nervous smile. "That is if you want to meet him. I mean I haven't told him about you. You don't have to."

"Don't be silly Bella," he told me. "I'm just...well father's tend not to like me." I couldn't fathom why any parent wouldn't like Edward. He was a perfect gentleman.

"Why?" I asked kind of confused.

"Well...okay maybe I'm exaggerating. In high school I was kind of a rebel. Really into the drinking scene. Senior year was when I began getting really serious. Because Dartmouth had been my dream. And when I started dating Tanya I was still a little in my phase. Before we were even dating we...hooked up." I looked to my feet. I knew that they had had sex but he had never straight-up told me before. "Her dad caught us one time and...Well he didn't like me to say the least." I couldn't help but giggle. The thought of Edward scrambling around naked made me laugh. "It was the most embarrassing thing," he shook his head. I just laughed at him.

"Well you have nothing to worry about Edward. There's no reason for you to worry about Charlie not liking you. He has no reason not to." He nodded and smiled at me. "You're perfect."

**E.P.O.V**

I helped carry Bella and her bag and her crutches up the stairs, which was a bit of a task. But I managed nonetheless. When we got to her room Alice was there, reading a magazine, and she jumped up when we came in the door. She took the bag and the crutches from me while I set Bella down on the bed. She was blushing like crazy; like always. But she wasn't even close to being heavy...I assumed no more than a hundred and ten pounds.

"Thanks," she said sheepishly to me. I kissed her on the top of the head.

"I wasn't about to let you hobble your way up four flights of stairs Bella," I told her, shaking my head. Alice giggled from behind me and I sat next to Bella.

"When's Charlie going to be here?" She asked Alice. I tensed a little at the fact that I would meet Bella's father. I was nervous to say the least. Meeting the father of the girl you're in love with is one thing I had never done before. I mean what if he doesn't like me? Would that change Bella's mind? I gulped at the thought of that. I sincerely hoped that she loved me enough not to let her father's opinion of me get in the way. I'd just be the most charming boyfriend a father could want for his daughter and pray for the best.

"He called the room a little while ago and he said he was about a half hour away. So he should be here pretty soon," Alice told Bella with a smile. Bella beamed back at Alice. I could tell that she missed him. He was pretty much all she talked about for the past two days.

"I can't wait to see him," Bella then said. She grabbed my hand and lightly brushed her thumb along it. She knew I was nervous to meet him. But she assured me that anyone she loved, Charlie would love. I hoped to god she was right.

"Where's Jazz?" I asked Alice, forgetting that I hadn't talked to or heard from my roommate in the past two days.

"Class?" Alice told me, like she was confused that I was asking her. _Fuck...class. _That thing that I hadn't gone to in days.

"Oh...right," I said, thinking about how much I would have to catch up. Bella would get extensions for sure, but I most likely would not.

"He's got class until three," she then told me. She probably knew Jasper's schedule off by heart now. I looked over to the clock and it was only 12:30. I nodded to Alice. Bella's phone then started to ring. Her eyes lit up when she looked at the caller ID.

"Hey dad!" She said into the phone. "Yeah, second floor...room two-oh-seven...okay see you in a few!" She snapped the phone shut and squeezed my hand tighter. I squeezed back, ready for my stomach to jump right up my throat.

**B.P.O.V**

I could tell that Edward was as nervous as could be as he sat tensed up on my bed, waiting for Charlie to make his way up here. I tried to soothe him by rubbing his hand with mine and kissing him on the cheek. It wasn't really working. But I knew that Charlie would love him. Although I had never introduced Charlie to a boyfriend before I knew he would like Edward. He was perfect.

"Calm down," I whispered in Edward's ear. I had to lean up a bit and my ribs tightened. I clutched at them a little in pain, but it soon subsided. I was still all broken and damaged from that night. And it wasn't just my body that was affected. Every time I fell asleep I had vivid nightmares all starring a stocky frat guy. It was never the same scenario though. They were all fucked up nightmares of the frat guy pinning me down and groping at me on various parts of campus. I had a nightmare last night that he came to the hospital and while Edward was asleep he taped my mouth shut and did the same thing he did every time. I always screamed myself awake, or awoke with a very wet pillow. Either way I was haunted. Edward managed to help me forget about the incident during the day, and sometimes at night when I fell asleep in his arms. But when I was a prisoner in my own mind anything was possible. And I was afraid at what would happen now that I was out of the hospital, and Edward-less for the night. I shuddered at the thought.

_Knock, knock. _

I shot up off the bed a little too quickly and my leg throbbed. I fell onto my knees and Edward swiftly bent down to me.

"Bella..." he scolded, shaking his head. I gave him a small smile as Alice danced to the door. Edward picked me up off the floor and held his arms around my waist to steady me.

"Alice!" Charlie's voice boomed from outside the door. Alice leant out to hug Charlie, and brought him inside the room. He was wearing one of his many red plaid shirts, a brown jacket and jeans. He smiled at first when he saw me, but his smile was soon replaced with that defensive fatherly look. I assumed he was noticing the large bruise I had on my cheek.

"Hey dad," I greeted. I tried to move forward and Edward helped me advance. He let me go when I wrapped my arms around Charlie's torso.

"Hey kiddo," Charlie said, wrapping his arms around me. He hugged a little too hard and I whimpered in pain. He released his firm grip, but still held me and looked down.

"Ribs," I told him, shrugging.

"Sorry...Bells...What happened?" I realized that I had only told Edward this story. He knew that I had had an accident; Alice told me that's what she told him. I sighed. He would most definitely _not _like this story. He'd probably go hunt the guy down or something.

"I...Well...I was walking back from my night class," I pulled away from Charlie and started to move to the bed. He helped me. Edward was sitting in my desk chair, watching me intently. Alice sat back down on her bed, eager to hear the story. "These guys...were drunk." Charlie tensed as he sat down beside me. "And one of them...grabbed me and threw me to the ground. Thus fracturing a rib," I continued, rubbing my side. "And then...he..."I started to tear up. I couldn't even think about it without crying let alone say it out loud. "Pulled out a pocket knife..." I was definitely crying know. I heard Alice gasp. I looked over to her, teary-eyed, and she had a hand slapped right over her mouth. "He was trying to get my skirt off..." I turned back to look at Charlie and he was as still as stone and as red as a tomato. I couldn't even imagine what he was feeling. "He ended up slicing my leg open and I got twenty-seven stitches...then he...he..." I couldn't say the next part. "Edward..." I said, turning away from Charlie. I needed to be close to him. I needed to feel him. He would calm me down. I shimmied my way over to him and wrapped my arms around him. The tears were streaming now.

"It's okay," Edward said, stroking my head. He put his cheek on the top of my head and inhaled. I gave myself a minute to compose...I was sure Charlie was watching us. I pulled my hands and head away but grabbed Edward's hand. I needed to hold on to him. I turned back towards Charlie but stayed near Edward.

"He pulled the skirt off..." I said, still sobbing a little. Charlie was pale. He no longer looked angry or mad, or like a tomato. He just looked...sick. I had to continue...even though it was the worst part of the whole thing. "Then he, uh, touched me..." I looked over to Alice to gauge her reaction. She had the most pained expression on her face and she was starting to cry. I couldn't handle this...all the reliving of the horror. It was wearing me down. I looked back to Charlie and the 'I'm going to throw up' look was still on his face. "Dad..." I said, not sure what to do now.

"Bells..." He said, shaking his head. "I don't...I mean...Do you know who did this to you?" I shook my head at him.

"Emmett will know," Edward said. Charlie looked to Edward.

"Would you be able to find that out for me?" Charlie asked eagerly.

"Not a problem sir," Edward replied. _Sir?_ My heart fluttered a little. He was so adorable and nervous...it was sort of hilarious.

"I'm Charlie," he said, standing up. Edward stood too.

"Edward," he replied, shaking Charlie's hand.

"Dad this is my boyfriend, Edward," I told him. Trying my best to stand. Edward held my hand and I balanced pretty much on my good leg. "He's the one who found me." Charlie's eyes shifted from mine to Edward's and without another moment's delay he took Edward into an embrace. I was shocked. I stood there with my mouth agape. Charlie was _hugging _Edward. I looked over to Alice and she looked as if she was about to laugh.

"Thank you so much," Charlie said, crushing Edward into a bear hug. Edward was still holding onto my hand, but took his other hand and patted Charlie on the back. "I owe you."

"You owe me nothing," Edward said as they parted. "We actually both owe my brother. He was there and he kicked that pig off Bella," Edward then told him, running his fingers through his hair and out of his face.

"Well I would sure like to meet this kid," Charlie said, a little chuckle escaping his mouth.

"Dad..." I thought about how Charlie had wanted to know the frat guys name. "What are you planning on doing when you find out this persons name?" I asked. He was the police chief of Forks. He couldn't do something illegal. He looked down to me with a serious look.

"I don't know Bells. I have to do something."

"He's already been kicked out of his fraternity, expelled from the school and charged," Edward informed him quickly. Charlie looked at Edward with disbelief covering his face.

"Really?" He asked sceptically. Edward nodded his head.

"My brother is the head of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He was there when Bella was...attacked. He told me that he has been kicked out of the school and charged with attempted rape," Edward said. I didn't know that that's what he had been charged with.

"Well...then I guess I won't be needing his name. But only Bella can charge him...I mean well if he is being charged she'll have to testify in court that what he did to her is legitimate."

I froze.

I would have to face him.

Again.

I paled.

I stopped breathing.

Everything went black...

**E.P.O.V**

Bella tensed next to me, her hand gripped mine intensely tighter. I was tensing too. I didn't want her to have to go through that hell. I looked down to her face and it was as white as could be. She started to sway and her eyes rolled back in her head. I caught her just before she fainted. I held her limp body in my arms and set her down on the bed.

"Bella?" I said, putting my hand on her cheek. She just lay there motionless, only her chest slowly heaving up and down. I pushed her hair out of her face and just stared at the beauty. I couldn't imagine what she was going through; not one bit. And it killed me that I couldn't ease some of her pain. I kept my hand on her clammy face and tried as hard as I could to wish her pain away. I knew it would never happen. I just stared at her now peaceful face and hoped that she could somehow remain like this in her consciousness. Charlie's deep voice broke my thoughts.

"She will need to testify," Charlie said from behind me. I stood up and left Bella to rest. She would probably wake up soon. I faced Charlie and I was almost the same height as him, but I was less bulky.

"I don't want her to have to do that," I told him, angrily. "I refuse to let that...I...I just can't let him get to her like that again. She's having a hard enough time as it is." Charlie just stared at me. I was being so protective of Bella because I fucking loved her more than I had ever loved anything in my life. My heart ached because of how much I loved her.

"Listen Edward I know that this is going to be hard on Bella. If she doesn't testify against him there's no way the charges will hold." I closed my eyes and breathed in deep; trying to calm myself. He was right because he was a cop. He dealt with this type of thing all the time. He was right. And she would need to see that motherfucking asshole again. And relive the entire thing.

"He's right Edward," Alice said quietly from her bed. _I fucking know that, thanks. _I just nodded my head tightly.

"I know," I told her through gritted teeth. I looked over to her and I think she wished she hadn't said anything. I could feel the anger radiating off of myself but I couldn't fucking help it. "I just...I mean – you _know_ Alice." I didn't want to say in front of Bella's dad that I was in love with his daughter, but she stared at me like I had three fucking heads. I was sure that Bella had told Alice about my 'birthday present'.

She really didn't fucking have a clue.

I had left them alone to talk at the hospital for a while and I had thought that she told her then. I never brought it up and she never did either. I just assumed...I mean they're best friends. I gave her a confused look back and she realized that she didn't know something. She jumped off the bed and placed a hand on her hip. Probably wondering what it could be.

"Charlie do you mind if Edward and I slip out for a sec?" Alice asked Charlie. _Fuck. _

"Sure," Charlie replied, taking up a spot next to Bella on her small bed. I grudgingly walked to the door and left with Alice right on my ass. I really had hoped that Bella would have told her. Now it was left up to me to tell Alice how endlessly in love with her roommate I was.

"Spill it Cullen," Alice said, before I even turned around. I reluctantly faced her. I pretended to play dumb.

"What?" I asked innocently.

She wasn't buying it.

"You know what. What'd you mean before when you said that? What am I supposed to know?"

I gulped, and ran my fingers through my hair in my nervousness.

"I can't believe Bella didn't tell you," I said, shaking my head.

"Tell me what?" Alice yelled, stomping her little foot. She was very aggressive and loud for such an incredibly small person.

"Okay...the other day, after Bella was attacked, I told her something." Alice was listening intently, just staring at me. "Listen Alice. The past week for me has been...I can't even begin to explain it to you. I have this unnatural connection with Bella. I mean it's fucking weird. But at the same time it's amazing. I love being with her, I love being around her..." Alice's face was dripping with anticipation. Her eyes were wide. "Alice...I'm in love with her."

She squealed like a little girl when the words escaped my mouth.

"Oh Edward! And you told this to Bella?" She was dancing around and jumping excitedly. She was making me fucking dizzy.

"Yes," I told her; relieved that she wasn't going to pound me to the ground anymore.

"And what'd she say?"

"What do you think she said?" I asked. Alice was her best friend. She would have said something to her about me surely...

"Well I don't know. I know that she likes you. But Bella never said anything about being in love. I'm assuming she would have said something of the same effect back though." My chest tightened a little. What if Bella did love me...but wasn't in love with me?

"She said she loved me," I told her, feeling a little down on myself now. Alice squealed again.

"Of course she did!" Alice was literally jumping up and down. She had way too much fucking energy. She had enough for three people.

"That's what I meant before. I mean I can't let her fucking go and face that fucker again. I love her too much to see her go through something like that."

"Edward we all love her and don't want to see her hurt. But this is something that she's going to have to do. Charlie's a cop and he knows what he's talking about."

"I know Alice...I know. I just – I can't watch her suffer like this. It's killing me." I slumped against the wall and slid down it. I wanted to rip my heart out of my fucking chest so I could feel some relief for even a second. Alice squatted next to me.

"You really love her huh?" She asked me. _You have no fucking idea. _I nodded my head slowly.

"More than anything..." I said this in the smallest voice, but I knew she heard me. I brought my knees to my chest and rested my head on them. I had already cried in front of Alice once. I stared at the floor thinking of Bella and her horribly fucked up situation. My vision went blurry and when I blinked tears started to fall to the carpet. Alice tried to comfort me by rubbing my shoulder; but it wasn't working. The only thing that would make me feel better would be for Bella to be one hundred percent happy. And I knew she wasn't, and that she wouldn't be for god knows how long.

"It's okay," Alice assured me.

"No Alice...it's not," I told her, through sniffles. I heard Bella's door open and my head snapped up. My teary eyes met her torn face. "Hey," I said to her. I stood up and wiped my eyes dry with my sleeve. I saw her eyes starting to water. "No, no," I told her, going towards her. I wrapped my arms gently around her and she took her hand away from the door and put it around my neck. "Don't cry Bella," I begged. If she started to cry I would for sure be bawling like a baby. I hated to see her cry and it took every ounce of my composure to keep dry eyes in front of Charlie before. "Shh," I said into her hair. I rubbed her back so she wouldn't cry.

"I don't...I don't want to do that," she told me. She was thankfully not crying but she was upset. I pulled away because I needed to look into those eyes. Her big beautiful eyes were filled with sadness. Fissures were being ground into my heart. Slowly and painfully.

"I know," I told her, squeezing her ever so slightly tighter. I wanted to hold her closer but I didn't want to hurt her.

"Ouch." She pulled away. _Way to go fucker. _

"I'm sorry!" I blurted, feeling horrible. I rubbed her side where it hurt. She gave me a small smile.

"It's okay." She planted a soft kiss on my lips and hobbled back into the room. I hurried after her and hooked onto her waist, helping her along. Charlie was sitting at the desk now, looking at Bella's pictures. Alice followed us into the room and resumed her post on her bed. I sat Bella gently down and she patted the space next to her.

We all sat for a while just talking. Bella explaining her schedule to Charlie and telling him which classes she liked. She kept her small hand in mine the entire time and I never wanted to let it go.

"Bells I'm starving," Charlie began. "Where's there to get something to eat around here?"

"There's a place to get food on campus, or there's a bunch of restaurants around here," Bella responded.

"Did you want to go out for lunch? Do you feel up to it?" Bella bit her lip and glanced over to me. I didn't know what she wanted me to do. This was for her to decide.

"Uh, sure dad. That sounds good." Bella made to stand up and I helped her along, Alice fetching the crutches from the closet. "Do you mind if Edward and Alice come dad?" Bella asked Charlie when we were both standing.

"Actually I was hoping that we could have some time alone," Charlie replied. I wasn't so much disappointed in his response as I was upset. I didn't want to leave Bella. It would be the first time in three days that I actually left her.

"That's fine," I told Bella and Charlie. "You guys have fun."

"Thanks a lot Edward," Charlie said to me. Meeting Charlie went much better than I had ever expected it to go. The father of the girl I loved actually hugged me. I was shocked a little at first, but I was just glad that he approved of her having a boyfriend. Charlie stood up and took over my position. He took Bella's hand and helped her to the door where Alice was waiting with her crutches.

"Do you want me to help you down the stairs?" I asked Bella.

"There's no elevator?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not in this building," I replied.

"I thought there would have been. I thought Bella just told me to take the stairs because they connected with the garage."

"No dad, there's no elevator. Edward carried me up the stairs." Charlie just stood staring at Bella for a minute.

"If you could carry her back down that would be a big help," he said, turning to me. I smiled at him and nodded.

I scooped Bella up, wedding style, and carried her down the hall. Charlie followed with the crutches as I made my way _very _carefully down the stairs. It was both harder and easier to carry her down the stairs; either way she still wasn't heavy. She tightened her hands around my neck and nuzzled her face into my chest the entire way down the stairs. Naturally when we were safely in the garage I didn't want to let her go. She gently placed her lips on my neck and kissed me a few times. My skin tingled and I wanted to kiss her back, but Charlie was there. So I just simply set her down on the ground and helped her into the old rusted truck.

"Dad I can't believe you drove this down here," Bella said as she hopped up into the truck bed. It was an old Chevy. Really rusted.

"Well Bells did you expect me to drive the cruiser across the country?"

"No I suppose not," she replied, blushing a little. I wondered why him driving this truck down here was so embarrassing. She turned her cute little red face to me. "It's my truck," she told me in a small voice. I chuckled lightly.

"I think it's time for a new car Bella," I joked to her.

"Don't say ew-nay in front on the ar-kay," she told me in Pig Latin. I laughed at her.

"It'll happen someday. It looks like it's about to expire...sorry to say." I was still laughing and now she was joining me.

"Respect my truck," she said, starting to calm down. "It's a senior citizen."

"That's for sure," I said to her. She looked up at me from the seat and Charlie was getting into the driver's seat.

"Can I see you when I get back?" She asked. Did she really have to ask?

"Do you even have to ask Bella?" She blushed again. I fucking loved that colour on her.

"I guess not," she told me sheepishly. "See you after."

I kissed her on the forehead and closed her door. She smiled at me from inside the car and I smiled back. I made my way back upstairs as I left Bella for the first time in three days.

**Reviews are lovely! **


	13. No doubts, no worries

**A/N: **PLEASE WATCH THE RATING ON THIS CHAPTER. Content not suitable for youngin's. Enjoy!

**B.P.O.V**

"Goodnight," I told Edward as we stood in the hall. I was trying my best to stand on my tip toes. My leg still hurt a little, but not as much as when I first got out of the hospital. It was Saturday, and Charlie had left earlier in the morning. He needed to be back in Forks because he was, after all, the police chief of the entire town. Edward held me as tight as he could without hurting my ribs, which were also getting better. They didn't hurt nearly as much anymore. They barely hurt at all.

"Night," he said to me, kissing my neck. I ran my fingers through his hair and my eyes rolled back in my head a little. I loved when he did that. It always gave me goose bumps. "Want...to get...breakfast....tomorrow?" He asked me, as he kissed his way up my neck. I couldn't think straight; there were no coherent thoughts. I decided nodding was my best bet. He slowly made his way to my mouth. Before he kissed me he rubbed his thumb along my healing cheek. The bruise had almost completely gone away. It was a little bit yellow still right across my cheekbone, but it was disappearing. Edward kissed the spot that was still bruised. "I love you," he said to me.

"I love you too," I told him, pressing my lips to his. He responded to the kiss and I parted my lips to meet his tongue. He always tasted so good. It was intoxicating...like being drunk or something. My lips moved in unison with his for a few minutes before Jasper came out of mine and Alice's room. He snickered as he walked by us because we were still in a lip lock. Jasper didn't care; he kissed Alice all the time when Edward and I were around. We parted after Jasper was gone and I returned to normal height. I was really tired and still sore. I held onto Edward's hand and grabbed onto the door handle to steady myself. I could now stand on my bad leg without it searing in pain.

"See you tomorrow," he said to me, leaning in for one last kiss. He pulled away much too soon for my liking and smiled my favourite crooked smile at me.

"Bye." I must have looked so goofy just staring at him like I was drunk. He walked away from me, looking over his shoulder once more before he rounded the corner. I went back into my room and nearly hobbled over to my bed. Walking was getting easier for me without the crutches. But I still used them. Alice rushed over to me when she saw me come into the room.

"I'm okay Al," I told her, making my way just fine.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah..." I kept hobbling. I nearly fell but I thankfully fell onto the bed. "See...all good," I told her.

"Bella don't try to be all tough and hurt yourself even more."

"I'm not trying to be tough Alice. I'm just not a baby. I don't need help."

"Honestly Bella. Nobody's saying that you're a baby. After what happened to you...I mean were just trying to help." She looked at me with worry seeping into her eyes. I knew they were all just trying to make life easier on me but I felt like a cripple.

"I know Alice. I just don't like feeling helpless..."

"You can be so stubborn sometimes Bella. It's okay to feel helpless."

I was fucking cranky because I was tired and hurting and hadn't taken my painkillers.

"No Alice it's not!" I yelled at her. I was sick of being treated like a child. "I hate being like this! I hate being treated like I'm a child!" My cheeks started to feel hot...but not because I was embarrassed; I was mad.

"Nobody's trying to treat you like a child Bella. Be reasonable!" She yelled back.

I shook my head and was trying to think of the last time Alice and I had actually yelled at each other for real. I started to tear up, because I usually cried when I was angry.

"Would you be reasonable if something like that happened to you Alice?" I yelled through the tears. "I can't even go one fucking minute of the day without thinking about it! I try and I try and it's fucking useless!" I was sobbing. I put my head in my hands and let the tears fall. "And while I'm hanging around with you and Edward and Jasper...all I can think about is the way he fucking touched me!" I clutched at my sides and started to rock myself back and forth. "So I'm fucking sorry if I'm a little more than unreasonable." I kicked off my shoes and curled up on my bed. Alice didn't respond.

We never _ever _fought with each other. But I couldn't stand it. She was telling me to be reasonable after I was nearly raped almost a week ago. I was fucking traumatic to say the least. I felt better when I was around Edward...but sometimes even he didn't help. Every time my mind would always wander to that night...how dark it was...how his greasy hand had rubbed along my face and my thigh...how he had crushed his body on top of mine...how I gasped for breath underneath him...how I squirmed to get free. I shook my head as I continued to rock myself to sleep. I needed to stop thinking about it. I grabbed my iPod off my desk and slipped under the covers. I put the ear buds in and didn't say goodnight to Alice. I turned on my favourite song in the world and listened to its soft melody fill my head. Listening to the song reminded me of Edward because the song was called 'Another Heart Calls'. It was a romantic song and it made me long for my loving, amazing boyfriend. My tears subsided and I was almost still underneath my covers. My breathing was starting to slow as I gradually drifted in and out of unconsciousness. It wasn't long after my eyes closed that I finally fell into a deep slumber.

---

_It was dark._

_And it was wet._

_I wasn't wearing any shoes. _

_The wet grass squished beneath my feet and swirled around my toes._

_I looked around to see where I was._

_I was in a forest. I could see the faint outline of the trees through the darkness but I couldn't see much else._

_I walked forward a bit and felt the grass seep into every crevice of my foot. It felt good but at the same time sort of disgusting._

_I looked to the left and saw a glowing light off into the distance. Maybe someone could tell me where I was. I made my way to the left._

_I kept walking for a minute, only hearing the faint squish of the grass beneath my feet._

_It was then that I heard the snapping of a twig._

_My head snapped up from the ground. _

_My body swivelled and I strained my eyes to see if anyone was there. _

_My eyes came up empty._

_I kept walking and resolved that I would be to the light in a matter of minutes._

_I heard it again._

_This time when I turned I could see the outline of a man standing behind me. He was far away but I knew exactly who it was when I saw him..._

_It was the frat guy._

_I whimpered._

_That's when I heard it._

_Edward's voice; it was coming from the direction of the light._

_I didn't hesitate. I took off running in his direction; moving my feet as fast as they would go._

"_Don't be like that sugar!" The frat guy yelled from behind me._

_I kept running, willing my legs to carry me faster. _

_Edward was still calling my name. He was looking for me. I tried to call back but my voice wouldn't carry. _

_I felt the frat guy gaining on me and I pushed my hardest._

_It was then that I tripped on the rock. I was sent face first to the forest floor, writhing in pain._

_I scrambled around to get up but I was too late. The frat guy was already there. _

_I backed away, crawling along on my elbows, telling him to leave me alone._

_He just smiled at me, turning a small silver object between his fingers. I whimpered again._

"_Let's have some fun," he said, bending down._

_He grabbed my ankle, and yanked me forward. _

_I screamed...and screamed...and screamed._

---

I shot up from my bed with tears rolling down my face. My room was dark and I could hear Alice scrambling around. I had been screaming in my sleep. My throat felt irritated and scratched from the yelling.

"Oh my god," I whispered as I was sobbing. My breathing was coming in short rasps. I could barely breathe. I was almost choking because I was sobbing and gasping for breath. The light flicked on then and I hurled myself out of bed. I darted to the garbage can – disregarding the fact that my leg throbbed when I fell off the bed. I vomited into the garbage can while the tears continued to stream down my face.

"Bella!" Alice said, running over to me. She grabbed my hair and held it out of my face for me. I cried harder, and continued to throw up. Alice soothingly rubbed my back. I whimpered into the garbage can as the tears mixed with my vomit. She reached into the fridge and grabbed me a bottle of water.

After my vomiting subsided I sat against my desk and took the bottle of water from Alice. I wiped the tears off my cheek as new ones replaced them. I took a swig of water and spit it into the garbage can. My mouth tasted horrible.

"Are you okay?" She asked me, sitting next to me on the floor. I shook my head, still crying.

"No..." I sobbed.

"I'm sorry about before," she told me, rubbing my arm. I shook my head.

"My fault..." I told her in between sobs.

"Bella its not. I had no right to...I'm sorry."

"Alice...I can't...I'm so broken –" I told her, turning to hug her. "I can't...stop...thinking – about...it." I couldn't hold back my tears. I was sobbing violently into Alice's shoulder.

"Shh," she told me, rubbing my back now. "It'll be okay Bella." I didn't believe her in the least because I knew how much I thought about it. But I nodded my head. I usually never _truly _disagreed with Alice. She was usually always right. This time I wasn't so sure. "Why don't you go back to bed," she told me. I nodded into her shoulder.

I stood up and she helped me back into bed. Being the best fucking friend that she is, she tucked me in and kissed the top of my head.

"I love you Alice," I told her, tears still clouding my vision. I could see her smile a little.

"Love you too."

She turned off the light and slipped back into her own bed. I kept sobbing for a little while but the crying soon made me too sleepy to stay awake. I closed my wet, puffy eyes and drifted off to sleep – hoping I wouldn't have the same dream.

---

Alice let me sleep in the next morning and I'm glad she did. I had had another dream but it hadn't been nearly as bad. The frat guy hadn't made it to me by the time I woke up. When I had woken up I kept my eyes shut and just laid there for a while, thinking about Edward. That was about the time I heard some noise coming from the room. I had the blanket pulled over part of my head and it covered my ear. I felt someone sit on my bed and I could tell that it was Edward. My heart skipped a beat and I rolled over to face him. I opened my eyes, which were most likely still puffy, and took in his beautiful heartbreaking face. _Mine._ He was leaning down close to me, and when I turned he brushed the hair out of my face.

"Morning beautiful," he told me. I smiled at him. I loved when he told me I was beautiful because he made me feel that way.

"Morning," I replied; feeling ten times better than I had felt the night before.

"How are you?"

"I'm great. How are you?" I knew he probably meant to ask how I was overall. But in that moment I was just so happy to be with him that that's the way I actually felt.

"Fantastic," he told me, smiling my favourite smile. It soon fell when he shifted his eyes to wherever I assumed Alice was. "Alice told me what happened. Are you okay?" I felt around the bed for his hand and he snatched it up and held it in his. I bit my bottom lip and gave him a little nod.

"I'm okay now. I had a really horrible dream." I told him this and his face was pained. I hated causing him this much pain – it hurt me even more. "Don't be upset," I told him, caressing his face with my free hand. "Please. It makes this all so much worse." His bright emeralds bored into my eyes and he tried to give me a smile. It didn't touch his eyes.

"Bella I can't stand to see you like this. Waking up in the middle of the night screaming, crying, throwing up. You have no idea how much...I just...I need to be able to help you take the pain away. It's killing me..." He trailed off, taking our entwined hands and putting them to his chest – right where his heart was.

"You being with me – right now – that's more help than you know," I told him, sitting up. I released his hand and put my palm flat against his chest. "Knowing that you're here and that I'm with people that love me..." I looked over to Alice and gave her a smile. I owed her an apology. "That's all the help that you can give. It's more than you think."

"Then I'll never leave," Edward told me, staring intensely. I smiled wider now, because the thought of Edward never leaving my side made my heart swell.

"Promise?" I asked. I needed him to be with me always.

"I promise," he replied. And I believed him.

He bent down to kiss me on the lips. I pursed them into a thin line and pulled away. My morning breath was probably horrific. I needed to brush my teeth before kissing him.

"Mind if I go to the bathroom quick?" Edward just quietly chuckled. I grabbed my tooth brush, shampoo and face wash from my drawer, and got my towel from the closet. I slipped on my flip flops and headed to the bathroom to have a fast shower. I washed myself meticulously – three times. As if I could simply wash away the night before. I just let the hot water soak every inch of my body in hopes that the scalding temperature would clear my mind of everything I was thinking about. After a half an hour of standing in the shower...doing absolutely nothing...I decided it was time to get out. The shower, while it made me feel slightly more relaxed, didn't help to erase my horribly vivid dream from the previous night.

I made my way back to my room, still thinking about the dream. Would I ever _not _be able to think about it? I wasn't sure, but I knew as soon as I walked through my door that there was someone that could help me try. Edward. He was the one person that almost made me completely forget about what happened. Just being around him made me feel comfortable and relaxed and peaceful. He had no idea how much I relied on him to keep my sanity. When I walked in the door he was sitting lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling – Alice was gone.

"Where's Alice?" I asked him. He turned his head slightly, but remained lying down.

"She and Jasper went to Commons. I told her I'd wait for you," Edward replied absently. He ran his fingers through his gorgeous bronze hair and sighed. I slightly limped over to the bed, although my leg barely hurt this morning, and sat down beside where he lay.

"What is it?" I asked him, taking my turn running my fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes and sighed again at the feeling. He told me he liked it when I did that. I kept doing it for a few minutes while he just lay there peacefully with his eyes closed. He looked almost serene as I was continuing my motions – and I was glad that I could make him feel that way.

"How's your leg?" He asked me, turning on his side. It disrupted my movements and I frowned slightly. I liked when my fingers were in his hair. "Does it hurt?" He asked concernedly, sitting up ever so slightly. I assumed he took my frown to mean that my leg still hurt.

"No, it feels good today."

"Then why are you frowning?" He asked, cupping my cheek with his hand. He brushed his thumb along my cheekbone. I closed my eyes because I loved when he did that.

"I was enjoying myself," I told him, bringing my hand to his hair. He chuckled at me.

"I'm sorry. I just...I'm worried about you." I looked down to my lap and blushed. Although Edward and I had effectively told each other that we loved each other I still blushed at most things that he said. He just had that effect on me...I couldn't help it. He was the most amazing person I had ever met...and he chose...me? I still didn't get it. It didn't make the tiniest bit of sense whatsoever. But as long as he decided he wanted me, I would be here. And since I wasn't that big of a moron I wasn't about to leave the best thing that ever happened to me. Utterly absurd.

I sighed. I hated that my, as of late, frequent bouts of insanity pained Edward so much. It made it so much worse for me to bear my pain and _his _pain. I wanted to tell him that I was one hundred percent super-dee-duper fantastic and that he had nothing to worry about. But I couldn't do that. I wanted to tell him that he should regard me as a lost cause...I would never be normal again...he should abandon me and never look back. I couldn't do that either. I wanted to push him away and pull him as close as I could all at the same time. Again...I couldn't. Because I was selfish. Any and all of those things would mean I was either A: lying, or B: leaving Edward. And for me...leaving Edward just wasn't an option. Being the selfish, now fucked up college girl that I was, I looked down to the bed to meet my perfectly still boyfriend's contorted face as he watched me and waited for a response.

"Edward..." I began, staring lovingly at him. He still caressed my cheek and lounged half-lazily and half-tensed on my bed. "You worry about me too much."

"Well Bella, considering what happened I find it necessary to worry about you." He looked final in his statement. Like his words were iron clad; carved in stone if you will. I shook my head at him...it was the most I could muster.

My damp hair swung about my face and a tiny droplet of water landed square on Edward's bottom lip. The glistening spot made me bite my lower lip in response and stare unabashedly at his perfectly smooth lips. I didn't even think as I slowly lowered my now minty-fresh mouth to Edward's. When I was close enough to smell his delicious aroma I lightly brushed my nose against his, making him exhale in what I assumed was delight. I pulled away a tiny bit and ran my tongue along his bottom lip, taking the droplet into my mouth, tasting the left over remnants of my shampoo. My deliberately slow movement caused Edward to shift himself to a sitting position and bring my face closer to his with his hand. I complied willingly and pushed myself against his chest, supporting myself with both my hands on the bed. He wrapped both arms around my neck and pulled me closer still...if that was even possible. I was being crushed to his face in a lip lock full of need and want and lust and love. My head swam as I realized that my lungs were aching for oxygen; I didn't remember the last time I took a breath – nor did I care. I inhaled through my nose as Edward's soft, warm tongue penetrated into my mouth.

I shifted my hands on the bed, trying to push myself even closer to him. He wanted more contact too I assumed and he pulled me onto his lap. I sat semi-awkwardly sideways on his lap while my back twisted to keep my mouth on his; moving rapidly. I tried to contort myself to straddle him, but his arms were too tight around my torso that I could barely move. I made one last sweep of my tongue against his and pulled away. Both to gasp for air and get more comfortable. He looked up to me through his lashes with lust-hooded eyes. I was fairly sure I was reciprocating a similar look. I made to stand up so I could sit on him more comfortably, but he swiftly took me by the waist and set me down on the bed so my head hit the pillow with a soft thud. I momentarily fisted my hands into the blankets both in anticipation and if I was being honest – uncertainty. I was anticipating what Edward would do – _could _do. What I would allow him to do. At this point I knew that it was pretty much anything he wanted. I knew myself well enough to know that when it came to _him, _I could refuse him next to nothing.

On the other hand I was uncertain. Did I know if I was actually ready for a real physical relationship? I had thought that I was ready, before..._No! _I yelled to myself. I would not – _could not – _think about that right now. But before I had been sure I was ready. Now...because of...

I just had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Although I knew Edward practically inside and out and knew he would never do anything to hurt me, the thought of becoming vulnerable while in the act made me almost cringe. Being exposed and revealed and touched and felt like I knew I would be would just remind me of what happened. How horribly exposed and revealed...and felt I had been that night. I shuddered as Edward began to lower himself gently down onto me. Although he hovered above me and brought a comforting hand to my face, all of those images flashed before my eyes. I forced them down into the recesses of my mind. I would _not _let it get to me. I needed to be as normal as I could be...for Edward. He seemed to become my reason for everything lately. I didn't care. He could be my reason for everything for the rest of my life. The fact was that I needed him. I wouldn't let him go...I refused.

"You okay love?" He asked, his hot breath smothering my face. I inhaled his delicious scent and nipped at his bottom lip with my teeth. Again, still pressing all the memories back into my stubborn mind. Locking them in a cage and throwing the key away. He whimpered ever so slightly at my light biting and lowered his hips down onto mine.

_Good morning Edward. _I naughtily thought to myself.

I smiled a little at the contact and I no longer had any worries. No cares. Just Edward. I lifted my hips into his and he groaned from on top of me. He liked it when I did that. I did it even more, letting the naughty side of myself take over. Edward took the hand from my face and ran it all down the length of my arm that was now slung over his neck holding his face close to mine. He was continually groaning and panting over me, and I ground my hips into him even more. I had no rational explanation for what I was doing except for the fact that I needed to make him happy. Give him pleasure. If nothing else I owed him that. He whimpered again and attacked my throat. He started to bite and lick all down my neck; making my eyes roll back in my head. Every so often his stubble would graze my neck and give me goose bumps. It just added fuel to the fire for me. By now Edward had his hips pressed so firmly against mine that I could no longer lift mine into his. But I could _feel _him alright. He was definitely aroused and quite hard. And it just turned me on like a fucking switch. I could feel myself getting wet and as he continued to rub his hands all along my side and my stomach it was making it all so much worse...or better? I wasn't sure which side I was rooting for. I was in such a daze that I wasn't at all concerned.

**E.P.O.V**

_FUCK ME! _I was continually yelling inside my horny fucking head.

Bella was grinding her perfect little hips against mine with so much pressure that my hard dick was throbbing with pain. She knew I fucking loved that – I told her myself. Her hands around my neck pressed my face into her throat and I kept biting and licking at her to keep myself from moaning as loud as I wanted to. I would occasionally groan into her neck, feeling her hips rub all along mine. I eventually pressed hard down onto her to stop her from doing that. I knew she could feel me against her and she didn't seem to mind a bit. The licking and the biting though soon began to elicit soft, erotic noises from Bella's sexy, pouty lips. I both cursed and hurrahed inside my head. Because A: this was too much for me to handle without fucking her senseless right now, and B: I was making her feel happy. Something I had barely seen on Bella in almost a week. But hearing another moan from her sent all those thoughts right out the window and the horny little fucker inside of me that hadn't gotten any in...Oh about almost seven months...took over. I pulled away from Bella's neck and my hands stopped along with me. Her deep, brown eyes opened. Full of love and what else? Lust? I thought that's what it looked like. She dug her fingers into my hair and tangled them deeper, giving me a look of pure desire. _Lust, _I agreed with myself. I couldn't hold back.

I took my hand away from her stomach and brought it to the buttons of my shirt. The one fucking day I decide to wear a shirt with _buttons. _I cursed inside my head. I started at the top and swiftly made to undo the buttons of my navy blue shirt. By the time I reached the bottom I noticed that Bella had undone the very last button. She took her fingers out of my hair and slid the shirt off my shoulders. I shrugged out of it and tossed it to the floor. Momentarily thinking about the breakfast we were _supposed _to go to, I hopped off the bed and locked the door – dead bolting it shut. If fucking Alice and Jazz walked in now I would surely fucking slaughter one of them. I hurriedly went back over to the bed and repositioned myself over Bella, who was now propped up on her elbows.

"Are you...okay?" I asked, hovering above her. She stared deep into my eyes and she had a contented look on her face. She nodded at me and her hair shook lightly around her face. It was nearly dried now.

"I'm perfect," she told me, tracing her fingers along my collarbone. The skin to skin contact made me shiver. She sunk down off her elbows and I watched her with wide eyes. She fingered the hem of her shirt and bit down on her bottom lip. I fucking loved when she did that. She looked too sexy. She fumbled with her tank top for a minute before slowly lifting it. She brought it half-way up and stopped. She had been staring at me the entire time she was lifting her shirt and she suddenly broke her gaze.

"I um..." She started, looking to her chest. I looked with her and noticed through the thin fabric of her shirt that I could see her hard nipples. I was salivating. I was actually surprised that I hadn't drooled on her. "I don't...Oh never mind," she said, giggling a little. _Oh fuck me. _I assumed her sentence was supposed to be 'I don't have a bra on'. I looked back to her eyes and she stared back, all the while lifting her shirt. When she successfully pulled it over her head and tossed it to the man-eating squids, I couldn't look down. I refused. I couldn't look away from her angelic face. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through my hair. I gulped loudly and finally decided to look down at her. Again, I feared the drool would drizzle down onto her chest. Her two perfect bare breasts were staring up at me from the most perfect little chest I had ever seen in my life. I gasped, whimpered, groaned...all at the same time. I wasn't sure what you could call something like that...but that's what I did. Even though I was still staring at her chest I could now feel her eyes looking at the top of my head. I lowered my head to her chest and began at her collar bone. She shivered ever so slightly beneath me and I smiled into her flesh. I licked all along the base of her neck and kissed the very center, right below her chin. She somehow managed to impossibly tangle her fingers into my hair and she – with a great amount of force – pushed my head closer to her. I made my way down to her breasts again as I had done in the Volvo and stopped my gentle kissing when I came to the peak. I kissed it lightly as I had done before because I knew she could handle that.

I again dragged my tongue along the top of her breast as well and she of course responded with a firm grinding of her hips against mine. It was becoming painful. The strain in my jeans. My dick against the rough material. Bella grinding her hips against me. My lips and tongue and teeth against her soft, warm flesh. I was fucking utterly and unconditionally grateful to whatever god out there that didn't make me a premature ejaculator. I was sure that had I been, all this heavy foreplay would have sent me way over the edge...long ago. I pushed my hips down onto her so I could focus on doing this right and making her feel the way she should feel. She moaned a soft but fucking sexy moan and my dick twitched at the sound. I was pretty fucking sure she felt that. I blushed a tiny bit, but she couldn't see my face. I was still at the peak of her beautiful right breast when I planted a firm kiss on the top of it. I made my way to the middle, in between the two, and kissed there. Then I took up kissing the other breast – at length – to put off what I actually wanted to do. I wouldn't just up and do that without Bella's permission though. This was about her. She was the one with restrictions, but I accepted them and respected her for them. It was the horny little fucker that I was worried about and Bella was dangerously taunting him. She suddenly gripped the back of my head so hard that it almost hurt.

"It's _okay_," she said in a near growl, almost pushing my head down lower. I was stunned. So I just did what the horny little fucker wanted. I swept my tongue up her breast and circled it around her raised nipple. Her back arched a little when I did that and I could see her getting goose bumps. I grinned. I licked her perfect little nipple and took it into my mouth. _Now _her back completely arched off the bed and this time her hips ground into me with much more force than before. I lightly took her nipple between my teeth in response to her movement, but that made her arch further. It was like a vicious circle. But I'd be fucking damned if I was going to break the circle. _Fuck that. _

"Edward," Bella breathlessly moaned from above my head. I thought I could have fucking exploded into my jeans at that one breathless word emitted from Bella's mouth. I slid my tongue over her nipple once more before moving to the other one. Can't leave that one out now can we? _Certainly not, _I thought to myself as I took the other nipple between my teeth. She moaned and whimpered and clutched at my hair until I thought it would come out of my head. I kept circling around her raised nipple and slowly made my way away from it and moved my mouth to the middle of her chest. I worked my way back up to her neck and kissed all along there until I came to the hollow beneath her ear.

"I love you," I more than breathlessly whispered in her ear. I turned my head ever so slightly and saw her smile – her eyes still closed.

"I love you...too," she said, meanwhile grinding her hips hard up into mine. I grunted and assaulted her neck. She was asking for it. She wanted it so bad. She knew _exactly _what she was doing. Her hands entangled themselves from my hair and slowly she pulled her arms from around my neck. I pulled away. Had I done something wrong? I looked up to her face and when I felt a tug on my belt my heart raced even more than it had been. _Breathe, Edward. In and out. Bella's just taking your pants off. No biggie. _I nearly snorted at myself. She pulled it tighter and released to unhook the belt. She slid it open and her tiny fingers went to work on the button. Next was the zipper. She slid it down and all the while my eyes remained transfixed on Bella's face – her eyes were on me. She undid my belt, button and zipper while staring me in the face. She brought her hands to the back of my jeans and made to pull them down, but just barely got them over my ass. Her brows furrowed while she continually tried to push them down and I almost laughed because she was concentrating so hard.

"A little help?" She again nearly growled. What was with her? She seemed really anxious...eager even to get my pants off. Not at all reserved like the Bella that had pulled away like before. I didn't want to push things too far. If she wanted to stop I would stop. Relieve myself on my own...although that was a lot less fun. I shook my head of these thoughts and brought myself into a sitting position and kicked off my jeans, sending them to the watery abyss. I was almost immediately on top of my bare breasted Bella and now she could _really _tell that I was hard...if she somehow wasn't able to tell before – which I doubted. She brought her hands to the hem of my boxers and slipped her fingers into them; my breathing caught. She, instead of pulling them off, pulled my hips down to hers. She slipped her right leg around my hip and pressed us so much closer together. My dick was right between her legs, right where I wanted it to be. I no longer held back. This is what Bella wanted. I ground my hips down between her legs and groaned while she emitted a moan. Again with this vicious circle. Every sound she made pushed me further and further. I looked down to her tiny waist and to her face. I looked back, down to her track pants that were beginning to ride extremely low on her hips and again, back up to her face. I was trying to tell her what I wanted without being the asshole and asking, and most definitely not being the asshole and doing it without asking her at all. She fucking went ahead and bit down on her lip and furrowed her brows in anticipation. She nodded her head so fervently that her hair shook violently.

"Take them off," she told me. She licked along her bottom lip and before I could do anything I moved to kiss her. I put my lips to hers and her soft tongue entered my mouth; all tasting of mint. I pressed my tongue firmly against hers and we moved in a rapid, rhythmic movement for a minute before I began moving my hands to the hem of her track pants. She lifted her hips as if by instinct and I broke our passionate kiss to pull them off in a swift movement. I tossed them to the floor. The fucking squids would be satiated. While moving back up to her face I noticed the large, stitched line on Bella's leg. I had completely forgotten about it. I stopped when my eyes became level with it. Bella tensed a little underneath me and I looked up to her. She looked like she was having some sort of internal struggle.

"Bella?" I asked, withdrawing from her. She relaxed a second later and closed her eyes. She breathed in a few deep breaths and opened them again. "Are you okay?" She sat up, her perky breasts bouncing slightly as she moved.

"Edward," she began, eyeing my boxers with a glint in her eyes. "I told you that you worry too much." She moved her gaze from my boxers to my eyes.

"I'm just making sure that you're okay with this," I told her, trying to meet her face. My eyes were almost glued to the vision of her breasts. I stared shamelessly.

"Well my breasts don't seem to be putting up much of a fight Edward," she joked. I snapped my gaze up from her chest to her face.

"I'm not kidding Bella," I told her. "I honestly am worried about you. I mean...you're okay...with this?" I asked, gesturing between the two of us.

"If I ever become not okay with it...I'll let you know," she told me, her brown eyes penetrating my fucking soul. She lied back down on the bed in nothing now but her satin, red panties and waited for me. I was speechless...to say the least. I was also motionless. I couldn't move. No matter how much my dick was twitching in desire at the mere sight of her. She rolled her eyes and sat back up. She grabbed my bicep and pulled me down with her. I was definitely in motion now.

She lay down and kept her hands around my neck, again going for the hair. She pulled me onto her and my hardness pressed against her stomach. I kept the stitches in mind and tried this time to be gentler. I moved my hand down to her stitched thigh and ran my fingers along her silky skin.

**B.P.O.V**

Edward was being _so _stubborn. He had run his godly tongue all around my nipples – making me very wet, might I add. He had kissed everywhere and touched my chest and my sides all over. He had hesitated when coming to it but I was more than okay with it. It would be later that I would seriously need some help. As he now ran his fingers along my damaged thigh, it took all my will power not to shout something at him. I knew he wouldn't hurt me, with all my heart I knew this, but couldn't help the fact that I felt the danger like I had the night I had gotten the stitches. _Force them away BELLA! _I yelled at myself. I shoved the memory back...down...into the dark recesses of chez Bella. I breathed in and out easily and closed my eyes. Edward was kissing my neck which made it easier to calm myself. He made his way back down to my hardened nipples and I successfully forgot about the memories. His hand being on my thigh no longer alarmed me. I was undoubtedly only concerned with his tongue, and the delicate movements of his hand. I rubbed my hands along his shoulders and mapped out his frame. I titled my head and allowed Edward even more access to my exposed throat as he moved his way up. He took the opening and hungrily dived deeper into my neck. I sighed in pleasure and pulled him closer. My hands were under his armpits now and my fingers were rested on the back of each shoulder. When he nipped at my neck I dug my fingernails into his flesh, eliciting a husky groan from Edward. It was _fucking hot. _I whimpered. He pressed hard down onto me and he brought my damaged leg around his hip. I winced a little at the pain, but it didn't last long enough for me to care. My leg was fine...it would survive.

"Uh..." I breathed in pleasure. "Edward..." I nearly moaned.

I needed his mouth to mine. I wanted his tongue. I lifted his face to mine with one of my hands and quite forcefully stuck my tongue right into his gaping mouth. He copied my quick movements and started gripping at my sides with his strong, sexy hands. He moved them slowly down to the hem of my panties. I didn't even let him think about it. I pushed his hands away, and without breaking the kiss, I slid them down to my knees and shimmied them down the rest of the way. I kicked them off the end of the bed and onto the floor; where the rest of our clothes had landed haphazardly. Edward never broke the kiss to look down and never ceased his frantic tongue. Instead he brought his hands down to my now exposed skin and traced a line with his finger along the space just above my pelvic bone.

He moved his hand away and ground his hips down onto me again. I was sure the wetness would show on the front of his boxers. He didn't seem to care. I felt the thin fabric that was between me and Edward – the only thing. I was fully exposed. Vulnerable. But oddly I felt safe. It was because of him. I ignored my previous doubts and wondered what it would feel like when he thrusted into me for the first time. Suddenly my stomach did a weird type of flip/dance. I wasn't really sure what it was. If we were going to have sex...then we needed a condom. I broke the kiss almost immediately, warranting Edward's full attention. His hands rested on either side of my body.

"Do you...I mean...you know," I said, waving my hand around suggestively. "Do you have condoms?" I asked, blushing so fiercely. Which I thought was horribly ridiculous considering how I was now naked. He chuckled and dragged his thumb across my cheek. "Because I don't have any...obviously," I told him, smiling a little. He nodded, and got off of me.

"I have some in my room. I'll go get them." He made to get redressed and I stopped him. I stood up and grabbed the shirt he'd picked up.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, sliding my arms in the shirt. I had a sudden rush of utter confidence. I mean the new Bella was clearly the more confident one, and I was more than glad that she was taking over now.

"Well I was going to go get a condom..." he said, puzzled. I slid my other arm in and began doing up the buttons. His shirt was almost to my knees. It looked like a dress on me. I giggled.

"I'll go," I told him, pushing the sleeves back. I turned to him and looked down to the glorious bulge in his boxers. I sighed and pushed against his chest. He staggered back and fell onto the bed. I knelt to the ground and looked up to him through my lashes. His breathing caught and I snickered. I lifted my hands to his boxers and drew them down, slowly. He lifted his hips to comply and his hard erection sprang free of its confinement. I almost, _almost _full out whimpered. I bit down on my lip and ascended his body. I let his erection touch my thigh as I climbed him. He gripped the bed sheets until his knuckles were burning white. I bet it was taking him every ounce of his energy not to fuck me right now. I smiled inwardly. I stopped when my mouth met his ear.

"Where are they?" I whispered. He gulped so loud I could hear.

"Uh...they're, in my drawer. My desk. Second...one, down," he said in a broken sentence. I nipped at his ear and got off him. I loved that I had such an effect on him.

I had been damn right before. And he had been fully clothed then. Now, stark naked, he looked like the most perfect statue of a Greek god...but with a bigger penis. I looked around for his pants and pulled them off the ground. I saw his lanyard sticking out of his back pocket and grabbed it because his key would surely be attached. I smiled at him and he grinned his crooked smile back and I took off out of the room to his. I went into the brightly lit room and hurried over to Edward's desk. I opened the second drawer and rummaged for the condoms. I pushed a few papers and some binders aside and found a box of Durex condoms sitting there – unopened. This made me happy. I opened the box and took one out. It was a turquoise coloured package. I held it between my fingers and closed the drawer. I skipped out of the room and made my way down the hall. I heard voices coming from around the corner and I started to jog so that they wouldn't happen to see me. I turned the knob and was about to enter the room when I heard a faintly familiar voice call my name.

**Reviews = love**


	14. Lego

**A/N: **Again, please definitely watch the rating on this chapter. There is some lemony goodness going on here. Enjoy.

**B.P.O.V**

"Bella?" The sweet, sing-song voice called. _Oh shit. _I was standing outside my room in nothing but Edward's shirt with a condom in my hand. _Perfect. _I made a fist around the condom and the keys and turned to find Rosalie and Emmett making their way toward me. I closed the door shut and held the knob.

"Rosalie," I said, giving her my best smile. "Hey Emmett," I then said, acknowledging Emmett.

"Hey Bella..." Emmett said, eyeing me curiously. He stared down at me and raised both eyebrows at the same time. He cleared his throat and looked away. He was smirking. He was fucking Edward's brother. He probably recognized the damn shirt. This was fucking fantastic. I'm completely naked and wearing Edward's shirt that Emmett most definitely recognized.

"I wanted to come by to make sure that you were doing okay," Rosalie told me, smiling her perfect smile.

"Oh I'm doing great actually. Thanks," I said, smiling back. She was a really nice floor manager. She and Emmett seemed perfect together. I liked her.

"If you ever want to talk about it you can always come to me. I'd be more than happy to listen. Emmett told me all about what happened. Are you sure that you're okay?" Again with everyone asking me if I'm alright. Truth be told I wasn't perfect...what with all the screaming and the nightmares...but I was getting there – I think.

"I'm fine Rosalie, thanks though."

"Okay, and by the way we have higher year students who escort people to classes when they don't know where to go. We could have someone escort you to and from your night class if you would prefer." I furrowed my brow at her. I wasn't a fucking baby...besides – Edward had already more than insisted upon that duty himself. I felt a tug on the doorknob and held it firmly.

"Oh, Edward sort of already told me he'd be doing that," I told her with a smile. Emmett chuckled and smiled back, along with Rosalie. Edward was pulling harder on the door handle and he was much too strong for me to restrain. He pulled it open.

"Bella what are...?" He broke off, shutting the door a little. He had a sheet wrapped around the bottom half of his body; which left his bare chest fully exposed. "Oh shit...hey Em...Rose," he said, nodding his head. Rosalie actually let out a small laugh and Emmett started to howl.

"Oh little bro," he said, hitting me on the shoulder. I assumed he wanted to do that to Edward but he refused to open the door any wider. I blushed as red as a tomato. How embarrassing.

"Well Bella...um, I guess if you need anything you know where to find me," Rosalie told me with a wink. I felt like dying I was so embarrassed.

"Okay thanks," I said, trying to muster a smile. Emmett erupted with laughter again. Rosalie started to walk away but Emmett remained.

"Be gentle with my brother eh?" He said, slapping my shoulder again. "It's been a while," he chuckled. He took off after Rosalie and they disappeared around the corner. I turned back to Edward who was still standing in the crack of the door in nothing but my bed sheet. I was a furious colour of red.

"Oh my god..." I said, pushing myself into the room. I leaned back against the door when it was shut. "How embarrassing." Edward took the keys from my hand and tossed them to the floor. I took my gaze from the ceiling and it landed on Edward's face, which was an inch from mine. He lowered his head and nipped at my bottom lip. I heard the sheet drop to his ankles when he brought his hands around my waist. He pressed me firmly against the door and I could feel the wetness coming back in between my legs. I put one of my hands around his neck and fisted it into his hair while the other dropped the condom to the floor and went to work on the buttons. I wasn't nervous – at all – which scared me a little. But this was Edward. I knew he was different. And my body, mind, and soul just wanted to be with him. I finished off the buttons and Edward slid the shirt off my shoulders and returned it to the floor with the rest of our clothes. He reached behind me and locked the door, again dead bolting it shut. If that pixie and her southern beauty came in here right now...oh like hell I would ever forgive her. No doubts...no interruptions...just me...and Edward. I brought both my hands around his neck and fisted my hands into his hair. He broke away from my lips and assaulted my neck. He had his hands rested lightly on my ass and I wanted to just be closer to him. I braced myself on his neck and hopped up onto him to bring my legs around his waist. I could feel his erection right in between my legs, resting against my wet center. I whimpered; he was so close.

"Bella," he moaned, into my neck. I ground my hips onto him, my wetness touching his stomach. He pressed me back against the door, running his tongue along my neck, and gripping my ass firmly. I ran my fingers down through his hair and brought them to his shoulders. I explored the sculpted planes of his back and dug my fingernails into them as his tongue reached my nipples. He grunted at me and sunk my body down further. Now his erection was placed right where my pelvic bone was. I gripped onto his back as his lips left my chest. He stared down at me with every kind of emotion in his eyes – love was the most prevalent. I unthinkingly dropped a hand down to his chest, and explored my way down. I reached my destination and hesitated for a fraction of a second. I had never touched a guy like this before..._there's a first time for everything obviously_. I wrapped my hand around Edward's warm skin and he shuddered. His firm grip on my ass tightened as I moved my hand back and forth around his skin. I stared into his eyes while I did this, showing him I was okay. The last thing I wanted right now was to kill the mood. He kissed the top of my head as I continued to pleasure him and I smiled at myself and looked down. My hand seemed to know what it was doing – even if I wasn't so sure myself. And Edward had no complaints. He breathed into my hair and he was soon starting to pant.

"Uh..." Edward gasped. "Bella...I want you – so bad," he said, shuddering again. I looked up to him and his face was so peaceful and relaxed. I stopped my movements and tried to shift myself in the appropriate position. I placed his erection right at my entrance and held it there.

"I'm all yours," I whispered. He didn't do anything though. I expected him to thrust right into me...but nada...zip...zilch. I rolled my eyes. "What? I told you that you can have me. Take me," I told him, gripping his erection a bit harder. He groaned and threw his head back.

"But are...I mean," he broke off when I made a hissing noise come through my mouth. He was going to ask me if I was alright. I fucking loved him to pieces for wanting to make sure...but I just wanted him right now. _NOW. _

"I'm fine Edward...really. There is one thing that is bothering me though," I told him.

"What is it?" He looked at me with his blazing emeralds. I made sure he was firmly at my entrance when I dug my heels into his ass and forced him inside of me. I wasn't sure what I was expecting when he first went in. I didn't know whether to expect full fledged pain or full fledged pleasure. For me it seemed to be a combination between the two. Only a little more towards the painful side. I winced slightly and bit down on my bottom lip. I smacked my head back against the door and looked up to his lust-hooded eyes. He pulled out a little and thrust back into me, sending my back slamming against the door. The second time in felt better. I dug my fingernails into his arms and dragged them up to his throat. I scratched my fingers into his neck and pulled on a chunk of his hair. He groaned and thrusted again – this again felt better. My legs were starting to hurt from holding myself up around him, and I could feel his hands starting to quiver on my ass.

"Bed," I breathed onto his chest. He nodded and pulled me away from the door. He walked us over to the bed and laid me down, while he managed to put himself over me – all the while staying inside of me. I released my bad leg from around his waist and stretched it out on the bed, the other one stayed wrapped around him. I brought my lips to his and feverishly kissed him. He responded and parted his lips; bringing his tongue out to meet mine. He thrusted a few times now and I moaned into his mouth. Okay _now _it felt better. There was no pain...no doubt, no worries...just...fucking...amazingness. I felt him smile against my lips while his dick thrusted in and out...harder and harder each time. I threw my head back and my eyes were rolling around in my head. I gripped his hair, so hard, and he moaned into the base of my neck. He brought a hand down in between our bodies and paused his movements to brush his thumb swiftly along my little bundle of nerves. My hips jerked up at the intense pleasure of the feeling and I could not help the fucking loud moan escape my lips. I could again feel him smile into my neck and he resumed his movements, all the while rubbing circles with his thumb. I felt myself growing breathless and I dug my fingers further into his hair.

I don't even know what made me think about it...I assumed I was thinking about orgasming, when I remembered the condom. Just when I remembered, Edward had thrusted particularly hard, as if to shove the remembrance out of my head. I moaned aloud in pleasure and tried to stop him...but I was enjoying it too much. It was probably the most irresponsible thing I had ever done, but I was being selfish. Edward increased his movements and circled his thumb more rapidly as well. I could tell that I was getting close. I moaned louder, gripping his hair tighter, when he stopped. I felt a growl rumble deep within my chest.

"Condom," he said to me. I met his eyes and thanked god that he remembered and had the will to stop. "I need it," he said, kissing my cheek. He pulled out and jumped off the bed. He returned not a second later and had the package opened. I took it from him and placed it at his tip – I still remembered 'Woody' from Sex Ed. I rolled it down and he quivered at my touch. He pushed me back onto the bed, not too forcefully, and positioned himself back on top. He smiled his fucking perfectly crooked smile at me and entered me again. This time he brought his thumb right back to my center and continued his movements. I wrapped my good leg around his waist again as he thrusted hard down onto me. I fisted a hand into his hair while the other gripped the blanket. My knuckles hurt from gripping it so hard. Edward's face was buried in my neck; he would occasionally lick or kiss my neck, but he was too focussed on the sex part that he barely did this. I again felt myself getting close, as he continued to circle me. He rubbed his thumb over it once, twice...three times.

I was done. I climaxed around his hard length and shuddered. The orgasm rolled off of me in waves and it was the most pleasurable thing I had felt – ever. I whispered Edward's name into his ear and he continued to thrust – so much harder. I liked it though. The roughness. It was what I needed. He took his hand away from me and placed it on the bed, to help his other hand support his weight. He kept going, grunting and moaning from above me.

**E.P.O.V**

I hated condoms. Stupid fucking things. I pounded back into Bella when she had successfully slid it onto my dick and she moaned a sexy moan from beneath me. I brought my hand back to her clit and rubbed it with my thumb. She shuddered and kept making all her sexy noises. I couldn't help myself. I was going at her so hard that I was afraid to hurt her – but she was gripping my hair and the bed so tight that I knew she would have told me if I was hurting her. I buried my face into her neck and licked it a little. I kept rubbing circles as I thrusted into her warmth and wetness. I could feel myself getting closer and closer. I kept at her, occasionally nipping at her neck. She kept moaning and whimpering and sighing. God her noises alone were enough to send me over the edge. Just when I thought about that, she hit her climax. I felt her clamp down around me and she quivered beneath me. Her grip slightly loosened around my hair and I took my hand out from her legs. She looked so fucking sexy when she had an orgasm – I sneaked a peek at her face.

I had made her finish, and now it was the final stretch. She whispered my name and I braced myself with both hands and pounded into her even harder...if that was even possible? I had never wanted someone this much – and having sex with Bella was...fucking fantastic...to say the very least. I kept going, and kept hearing her noises. She was quickly sending me over that edge that I was coming to. The sheer face of the cliff. Right before you jumped off. I was there. I was standing atop the cliff, looking out over the calm water. I was so close to jumping I could feel it. With a few more hard thrusts I leapt off the edge. I moaned and groaned at the same time.

"Bella," I moaned, shuddering violently. I kept sliding in and out of her slowly and soon came to a full stop. I had to fucking give it to her. I had had sex many times before...but this..._this _fucking took the gold. That had been the best orgasm of my fucking life. My arms gave out and I let my limp body lay on top of her. Her chest heaved up and down slowly and she ran her fingers through my hair. We lay like that for a few minutes before Bella cleared her throat.

"Edward?" She said, stroking my hair.

"Hmm?" Was all I could manage in return. I pulled my now soft dick out of her and decided that I needed to take the condom off. "Do you have any Kleenex?" I asked, not wanting to redress and go all the way to the bathroom.

"My desk," she said, pointing behind me. I got off her and slid the condom off and tossed it into the trash. I cleaned myself off before returning to Bella who was getting under the blankets – the sheet was still lying by the door. I joined her as she held the blanket opened and I scooped her up into my arms and held her soft naked body close to mine.

"What is it?" I asked her...almost forgetting about her question. She looked up to me from my chest and gave me a weak smile. She blushed a tiny bit before responding.

"When Emmett said...you know...that it had been a while. What's a while?" She asked, biting on her lip. _Oh..._slightly awkward.

"March," I told her. She raised an eyebrow at how long it had been and she smiled.

"And was that...Tanya?" She asked. She seemed like she didn't even want to ask. If I was her I wouldn't have asked. I couldn't imagine being in her place and asking her the last time she had sex...and with whom. It would make me want to hunt the guy down and kick his ass...not that it would undo anything. It would just make me feel better.

"Yeah," I told her truthfully. She traced her fingers along my chest and I squeezed her tighter to me.

"And...Um, maybe it's not any of my business...but –" She broke off, propping herself up on her elbows. She was still blushing and she looked nervous. I brushed back her hair and traced my fingers along her jaw line.

"Bella you can ask me anything," I told her. She took my fingers in between hers and held my hand gently. _I love you. _

"Um...how many – girls have there been...you know, before me?" She asked, not meeting my eyes. I gulped loudly. She did not want the answer to that question. I knew the extent of her dating life. It consisted of two fuckers Tyler and Mike...and then me. And I knew that I was the only one that she had ever had sex with. I fumbled around with her fingers and swallowed hard.

"Bella...are you sure you want the answer to that?" I asked. Her eyes slowly met mine and they were filled with...I couldn't place it. It wasn't jealousy...it seemed more like – inadequacy. Which was utterly ridiculous? She was better than any of the others.

"That bad huh?" She asked.

"No. Not really. I just don't know why you're asking me. I mean..." I broke off when she sighed.

"I don't know. I just...I mean I guess I don't understand. Look at you," she said, gesturing to me with her free hand. "You're perfect. And I'm...well I'm me." I was almost gaping at her. She had to be fucking blind.

"Are you fucking joking?" I asked her, a little angry. She was out of her mind. She was the most perfect thing I had seen _ever. _"Bella. You...you are the – you don't understand how god damn sexy you are." I lifted her chin to meet my eyes. She was being ridiculous. "_You're_ perfect." She was blushing more now but she shook her head.

"I'm not."

"Bella," I tried to reason with her. "You are perfect for _me._ Even if you were somehow impossibly not my type I would have _made _myself change so I could be with you. I'm drawn to you...I need you...I _want _you, like I never wanted anything in my entire life. And I love you. You're the thing that's been missing from my life. See," I said, gesturing down to our entwined bodies. "We fit. Like Lego or...or a puzzle." She looked back up to my face and smiled a beautiful smile. My heart skipped a beat. She was breathtaking.

"I feel the same way. I thought I was crazy. I mean it's like...chemically and biologically I'm attracted to you. Which is weird? But I need you to function now. I love you." She said, gripping my chest.

"Bella," I said, cupping her cheek with my hand. "You are my life now." She nuzzled her face into my hand – something I fucking loved about her and she kissed my chest. I closed my eyes in pleasure. I could feel myself starting to get hard again. It must have startled her because she looked up to me and I gave her an 'I can't help it' type of smile. She giggled.

"Oh Edward," She said, pushing the blankets away. I was frozen. Was she honestly up for Round Two? My heart was racing. I fucking loved her. I wanted to marry her. She unhooked herself from the parts of her that were tangled with me and threw herself on top of me. I sat up a little bit so my back was rested on the pillow and she straddled me. I could see the stitches gleaming on her left leg. None of her injuries seemed to be bothering her. Especially her ribs. I think those were almost completely healed. And her cheek bruise was almost completely gone – unless you were looking closely you couldn't even tell it was there. She shifted on top of me and my dick grew even harder. _I fucking love you Isabella Swan. _I brought my hands to her hips and dug my fingers into her soft flesh. I wasn't sure she knew at all what she was doing. And I didn't doubt that she could figure it out...but I wanted to help her along. She lifted her hips and slid her hand over my dick, making me as horny as I had been before. She positioned it at her entrance and slid down onto me with a shudder. My hands guided her down and back up again as fast as she was willing to go.

Then I heard music. _"One last glance from a taxi cab, images scar my mind, four weeks felt like years. Said your full attention was all mine, the night was young and so were we, talked about life, god, death and your family..." _It was Bella's ringtone. And I fucking loved her – if it was possible – even more. She liked Anberlin...at least enough to make it her ringtone.

"Oh fuck," Bella huffed. She reached up and over me to the ledge behind her bed and snatched her phone up. I was still nestled inside of her when she answered. I didn't even have to guess who it would be. We had both temporarily forgotten about breakfast while we were having sex. Honestly I didn't care much. I would have picked sex over breakfast any day of the week...well sex with Bella at least.

"Hi Alice," Bella chimed in a neutral voice. "Yeah we're just leaving now...Well I had to get ready. We ran into Rosalie and Emmett and were talking to them...Yes Alice. Yeah we'll be down in ten," she looked down to me and raised an eyebrow as if asking me if that was enough time. I shook my head and gave her a big smile. "Maybe twenty minutes," she said with finality. "Oh god Alice you'll survive. We'll be there soon...okay bye," she said laughing. She hung up the phone and tossed it down to the squids. I was sure that some other sea creatures had been along by now to join in on the feast of clothes and other objects that lay scattered.

"Mmm, where were we?" Bella asked, shifting her ass around on top of me. Oh fuck me. Well she already sort of was. But before we started up again I wanted to get another fucking stupid assed condom.

"Wait," I told her. "Condom." She crossed her arms over her bare chest. "I'll go this time," I said, laughing. I couldn't believe it before when I opened the door in nothing but a sheet and saw Emmett and Rose. Bella had been right, _how embarrassing._ Eh...what do you do? I lifted her off of me and she complied sitting on the bed, leaving her arms crossed. She was so damned cute. I pulled my jeans on without my boxers and stuffed my erection into my pants. I zipped them hastily and threw my shirt on without doing any buttons up. I grabbed my key and dashed out of the door. I sprinted to my room and hurtled myself in. I was apparently really anxious to make love to my girlfriend again. And hell I should be. I grabbed a condom out of the drawer and sprinted back to Bella's room. I dead bolted the door again – just to be safe. I never knew with Alice. She probably sensed that Bella didn't take a fucking hour and a half to get ready. But I didn't want to risk her coming up here and walking in on me fucking her roommate senseless.

"What took you so long?" Bella asked me in a raised voice. She was lying on the bed on her stomach and she had her feet clasped around one another in the air behind her. Her head was propped up on her elbows.

"I'm sorry," I said, playing along. "I promise it won't happen ever again." I made my way over to her, dropping my shirt to the ground in the process. I tossed her the condom and it landed on her back. She pulled it off and tossed it to the floor.

"I don't know if I can forgive you..." She started, lying on her side. _God help me. _I would never let Bella leave this dorm room. "I might have to punish you," she said, biting her lower lip. _Oh fuck, please, please punish me. _I started to undo my jeans hastily and kicked them off. I nearly pounced on her.

"Please," I begged her. She pushed me down and climbed on top of me. "Punish me."

---

"Maybe I should disobey more often," I said as I returned to the bed. Bella looked at me confused.

"What?"

"I mean...if that's my punishment. Than I should most definitely disobey more often." She laughed at me and sat up.

"We need to get going. Before Alice comes and breaks down the door. Which I'm pretty sure will stand no chance next to her. She may be tiny...but she's feisty." This time I laughed. I wouldn't doubt that Alice would kick down the door with ease. We both dressed, and Bella slipped into simple jeans and a T-shirt. She skipped over to Alice's desk and pulled down her mirror. I saw her make a shocked face into the mirror. I went over to stand beside her.

"Oh god Edward," she said appalled. "Alice _knows _sex hair when she sees it. This is unruly." I laughed next to her. I looked at my own reflection. My hair was as messy as always – my hair was always in its 'sex hair' state. "You on the other hand," she said, gesturing to my hair. "Your hair always looks like that. She won't even notice." I laughed because she said exactly what I was thinking. But it was true. Bella patted down her hair and combed her fingers through it. She managed to tame it a little. She rubbed some sort of make-up underneath her eyes, not that she needed it, and she brushed some along her faint bruise. She took about two minutes and turned to me. She was done. I smiled at her and grabbed her hand. She took her key off the desk and slipped into a pair of sneakers. We left the room and I was glowing. I could feel it. I had never thought I could be this happy. I was with a beautiful, sexy, smart girl. And she was amazing. And she loved me...and I absolutely, one hundred percent, loved her back. And we had spent the last hour and a half making love – twice. And it was the best hour and a half of my life.

We entered Commons and went to find Alice and Jazz. They were sitting at the table we usually sat at. We leisurely made our way to them and took a seat at the table. Jessica was, of course, sitting there. She always seemed to be around.

"Hey Bella! Hey Edward," Jessica said to us. Lately she seemed to make next to no eye contact with me...which was just fine by me. I hated thinking about that night...but loved thinking about it at the same time. But for completely different reasons.

"Hey Jess," Bella greeted her with an unusually large smile. She was glowing too. _I FUCKING LOVE YOU! _I wanted to tell her that every minute of the day...for the rest of my life. Bella looked over to Alice. And she probably wished she hadn't. Alice had a look of utter shock and disbelief plastered on her face. She knew. She had to. She had some fucking weird sixth sense type of shit going on. Bella nervously patted her hair down...which probably made it worse.

Alice raised an eyebrow at Bella.

Her response was a swift shrug of her shoulders.

Alice covered her mouth and stifled a giggle.

**Alice loves when people review!**


	15. Beating Hearts Baby

**A/N: **So before anything I just have to say that I sadly do not own any of the characters within this fanfic. They all belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer. And here you go! Chapter 15. PLEASE watch the rating again! : )

**B.P.O.V**

When I was sitting at the table Alice had known from the second I sat down that I had had sex. Her fucking stupid sixth sense flaring up...damn her. She stared relentlessly at me until I looked over to her. She raised her perfectly sculpted eyebrow at me as if to say 'you did didn't you?' She wouldn't give it up. I shrugged back at her and pursed my lips as if to say 'yes I fucking did'. She covered her mouth and suppressed a giggle. I knew she would want to talk about it like fucking ASAP so I stood up to go get food.

"I'll be right back," I told Edward, releasing his hand. Alice followed me to the serving area. The pixie was unrelenting. I ordered a wrap and a salad and waited for Alice to say something.

"So...am I going to have to beat the details out of you?" Alice asked, crossing her arms. I glanced sideways at her. I smirked a little.

"Possibly," I told her. "What exactly do you want to know?" She squealed.

"Everything! Are you nuts? You are telling me everything Isabella!" I laughed at her and thanked the man behind the counter.

"Bella," I reminded her. She tended to call me by my full name when she was excited...or mad. "Well..." I dragged it out, turning away from the middle-aged man. I leaned down to Alice. "We had sex," I told her. She seemed unfazed by my statement. She shrugged.

"Yeah...that much I got from your god awful hair. Bella honestly. Did you think I'd pass over that tiny detail?" I laughed at her...because that's exactly what I had thought.

"That's exactly what I told Edward. I knew you'd know. I couldn't tame the hair – no matter how hard I tried." I shook my head.

"And," Alice added, "Who takes an hour and a half to get ready? I mean that's way too long. Especially since you look like you just threw on the first thing you saw in your closet. That could have taken you five minutes."

"Literally that's probably the amount of time I spent getting ready," I laughed to her. I paid for my meal and we headed back to the table.

"So if you spent five minutes getting ready..." Alice began suggestively. "What did you do for the other hour and twenty-five minutes?" I cleared my throat and stopped at the condiment cart.

"I told you what we did. We had sex. And when I went to his room to get...a condom...I ran into Rosalie and Emmet...wearing nothing but Edward's buttoned shirt." I glanced over to Alice and she was almost bent over in laughter. She clutched her sides and when she came up for air she had a tear rolling down her face.

"You mean that...you...were like...naked and ran into them?" She said, laughing. I nodded.

"Yes. And I had a condom in my hand. And then to make that all so much more awkward Edward opened the door...wrapped in nothing but a bed sheet..." I blushed as I remembered the embarrassment that had flooded through me. Alice laughed harder still and covered her mouth.

"Bella! Stop...you're – you're killing me." I'm glad she was so amused by my utter embarrassment. I had to agree with her though. If it was someone else in that situation, I would have been dying of laughter.

"You wanted details Alice," I reminded her. She nodded her head and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I know," she said, composing herself. "So...how was it?" I knew that would be coming.

"Alice," I said, bracing myself against the cart. "It was...you have no idea. Uh, it was fucking amazing." I whined a bit towards the end to emphasize how much I enjoyed having sex with Edward. "He was so...ugh, it was just...yeah, amazing." I didn't know what else to say. Alice smiled at me as I turned to face her.

"So you're happy then? I mean you just lost your virginity Bella! I mean the first time is always slightly awkward and it hurts a little. But believe me...the second time is so much better." I smirked at her.

"I know exactly what you mean. But the first time wasn't awkward at all," I said, remembering how _right _it felt to be with Edward. There was no awkwardness. Alice threw her hand up in front of my face and was making all kinds of appalling noises.

"What?" Alice almost yelled. It was fairly high-pitched and I looked to our table and saw Edward turn around and look at us. I gave him a fleeting look and he smiled at me. My heart fluttered. I returned my attention to Alice.

"What?" I asked her...slightly confused.

"Hold up there Bells. You said you knew what I meant by 'the second time is better'..." Oh...shit. I hadn't consciously realized that. _Fuck...way to go dumbass. _I grabbed my food off the cart with the newly acquired fork and gave her a shrug.

"Yes...I do know what you mean." Her eyes went wide. She arched her little eyebrow again.

"Bella. You did it more than once?" Her voice seemed shocked.

"Possibly. That may have happened," I told her, curving my lips up into a smile. She smacked my arm.

"Bella! Wow...I mean you guys had sex twice in the span of an hour and a half. Talk about horny," she muttered the last part but I still heard.

"Excuse me for having eighteen years of sexual tension building up," I joked to her. She laughed beside me and we both made our way back over to the table. I took up my seat next to Edward and he was having a light conversation with Jasper. They stopped when Alice and I were seated. I started eating my wrap and Edward was just staring at me. I looked over to him and he had the most satisfied smile on his face. I smiled back as best I could while chewing my food. He placed his hand on my thigh – the one with the stitches – and squeezed gently. I was mildly surprised when it didn't hurt, and when it didn't make me cringe. I hadn't thought about my incident all day...well since Edward had been with me.

He pulled my chair closer to him and rested his arm on the back of it. I kept eating when I suddenly realized that Edward had to be hungry. Why wasn't he getting food? I glanced over to him and he was watching me eat, while playing with a strand of my unkempt hair. I took the hand that held the wrap and offered it to him. He looked at it hungrily and placed his hand over mine. He brought his mouth to it and took a large bite off of it; he took almost half into his mouth. He chewed on it and I noticed that some mayo had dripped onto the side of his mouth. I took my finger and wiped it off and put it in my mouth; making a popping noise when I pulled it back out. He chewed slower and eyed me with a raised brow. Was it wrong for me to be turned on by a simple, sexy raised brow? Either way I was. Ugh...I just wanted to rip his clothes off and grope him right here, right now. I shook my head of my naughty thoughts.

"Why don't you go get something to eat?" I asked him, as he swallowed his bite. He shrugged.

"I guess I should. I'm starved," he said, grinning. He was probably thinking of _why _he was so hungry.

"I wonder why," I said, cocking my head a little. He grinned widely. He moved his hand further up my thigh and I almost jumped. What was he doing to me? He wanted me to attack him in the middle of Commons for sure. My breathing caught as his hand came to rest right at the seam of my jeans on my inner thigh. I leaned into him and put my mouth to his ear.

"Do you want me to jump you?" I whispered. I pulled away and gazed into his blazing emeralds. He smiled his crooked smile and stood up, taking his hand with him.

"Is that even a question Bella?"

**E.P.O.V**

"So the doctor said to come back in two weeks right?" I asked Bella. I was asking about her stitches because I wanted to know when she would be able to get them out.

"Yeah...it doesn't even hurt anymore though," she said to me, taking my hand as we walked. I had History now. Monday's always sucked a little. Because on the one hand I had class with Bella and I could be close to her and hold her the entire class. But on the other hand...I hated leaving her...like always. And I also hated Monday's because Bella had her dreaded night class. I had fully _insisted _on walking Bella to and from class. I told her that she wasn't allowed to leave the building unless I was there. It may have seemed too controlling or obsessive even. But I would be fucking damned if I would let something like that happen to her again.

"How about your ribs?" I asked, opening the door for her. She stepped outside with my hand still in hers and shrugged.

"They don't hurt at all. I mean I thought they still would...but they don't hurt a bit," she told me, smiling. I smiled back. She squeezed my hand tightly and kept leading me to JNH. Since yesterday I had looked at Bella almost entirely differently; but not in a bad way. I actually looked at her differently in a very, _very _good way. I felt connected to her on such a deep level; like I had never felt with anyone before. Ever. It was so much more than the fact that I loved her to death and that we had had amazing sex. It was stronger. It was unexplainable. I again reverted back to the Lego explanation. I didn't know how else to explain it to Bella. I mean...that's the best way I could explain it. We fit perfectly...like we were designed for each other and each other alone. Or maybe it was more like a puzzle piece than Lego. I was this small piece of a billion piece puzzle, and by some divine miracle, I found the piece that fit into my side perfectly. After I had searched other puzzle pieces for my perfect fit...I had found it. It was Bella.

We walked in comfortable silence to JNH while the chilly September air whipped around our faces. It was starting to get increasingly colder each day as the calendar inched closer to October. I felt Bella shiver beside me and I drew my hand out of hers to put it around her instead. I hugged her close to me and continued to make my way to my History class. I had thought about not going to class today so I wouldn't have to leave Bella, but I hadn't gone all last week. I decided against skipping though because I was already behind enough as it was. I didn't even want to think about how much I would need to catch up on. I finally reached the door and held it open for Bella because she was still shivering despite the coat she had on, and despite the fact that she was curled into my side. We both stepped in out from the cold and I trudged up the stairs to the lecture hall.

"Ouch!" Bella yelled from beside me as we finished walking up the second flight of stairs. I turned to find her holding her index finger in her hand. Blood was accumulating on the tip.

"What happened?" I asked, probably more concerned than I should have been. I hated to see her hurt at all...no matter how minor or severe the injury.

"The stupid railing...I cut my finger on something." She turned away from me and inspected the railing. She gave up a minute later and returned her gaze to me. She stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked the blood off of it. She crinkled her nose a bit when she did this because she hated the smell of blood. You would think she'd hate the taste too?

"Are you okay?" Lately her luck seemed to be taking a turn for the worse. First she's practically assaulted by some Mike guy in the back of his truck, then she's attacked by my moronic ex-girlfriend, and then she nearly gets raped by a fucking frat guy. Now she cuts her finger on a railing.

"Did you walk under a ladder or something? Break a mirror?" I asked, brushing my fingers along her cheek. She took her finger out of her mouth and rolled her eyes.

"You would think. I should wear a sign that says 'Do not come within fifteen feet – Approach with Caution'. That way I don't bring people down with me." She sighed and her saddened brown eyes bored into mine.

"Well you'll never keep me that far from you ever," I told her, brushing her hair out of her eyes. She smiled an adorable smile and sighed. This time it wasn't a sad sigh. "I have to go though, I'm late." She pouted her bottom lip and nodded her head.

"I'll see you after then," she told me, stretching up on her tip toes. She planted a soft kiss on my lips and held me close to her. Had I ever mentioned that I _really _hated to leave Bella...even if only for a little while? Well I fucking hated it. I kept squeezing her tighter and almost refused to let her go. She pulled away though and giggled a little.

"Edward you have to go. You always end up being late for this class." She was right...I always seemed to walk into this class late. I groaned and let her go.

"Fine. But I'm coming to see you after," I told her, walking away. I looked back right before I opened the door and she blew me a kiss. I smiled at her and disappeared into the dark lecture hall – the lecture had already started...obviously. I sunk down into a seat in the large hall and listened to the prof talk about the Reformation. It was invigorating. _Really_ compelling. I did enjoy History, enough to make it my major. But all of this I had already learned. I was doing well in the course so far for missing an entire week. I propped my legs up on the empty seat in front of me and took a few notes. All I could do, despite trying not to, was think about Bella.

**B.P.O.V**

"Hey!" I said into the phone. It was Charlie.

"Hey there Bells. How's everything going? How are you feeling?"

"I'm great dad. Everything's better and I'm healing. I have to go back to the hospital next Monday to get the stitches out. And my ribs are almost completely healed and my bruise is nearly gone."

"Well that's great. I'm glad you're doing better. And Bells...I took it upon myself to set you up with a lawyer. She's made all of the arrangements for the hearing and I know you don't want to...but you have to testify lamb. The hearing is on Thursday and I've told her to meet you at the courthouse at noon. Don't you worry about a thing but showing up. I've taken care of everything." I was silent. Well with the exception of my now heavy breathing. I was petrified. That was...like three days. "Bella?" Charlie asked when I didn't respond.

"Yeah...dad. I'm here," I said, my voice shaking like a leaf.

"Hun, I know you don't want to do this...but you have to. If you want the charges to hold. If not he will be released and all that you went through will have been for nothing." I nodded at the phone even though he couldn't see me.

"I know dad," I said more confidently. I wouldn't let this get to me. I knew I would have to do this soon. I just didn't think it would be _so_ soon. Charlie had taken pictures of my injuries while he was here so I could show them to the judge. Since most of the injuries would most likely have been gone by the time of the hearing.

"Okay well Bells I just wanted to call you and tell you that it's this Thursday. You can do this. I know you can." I breathed in and out. In through my nose...out through my mouth.

"Thanks dad." I hoped he was right. I just needed to prepare myself. "Oh and by the way...are you back in Forks yet?"

"Just got back not ten minutes ago. I'm over at Sue's. I have to go to work soon though." I noticed that when Charlie and I were alone he had been talking about Sue Clearwater an awful lot. I mean they had been dating for almost a year now. Ever since Harry died over three years ago now Sue had been really broken up. Charlie was there to comfort her and help her get back on her feet. Her kids Seth and Leah were devastated too of course, and Charlie and I would always have them over for dinner and help them get their life back to normal. But Charlie never really talked much about Sue to me. So when he was here it was odd that he was all of a sudden rambling on about her. But I could also see how much happier he was. He looked like he was madly in love...I could tell because he sort of looked the way I felt.

"Well tell her I say hi," I said, smiling. I really did like Sue. She was a sweetheart. And my dad seemed to like her – love her even. And she was good in my books.

"Will do Bells. Call me Thursday after the hearing."

"Okay dad. Love you," I said.

"Love you too."

I hung up the phone and lay down on my bed; thinking about the dread the upcoming week was going to hold. The thing that drove me mad though was the fact that I _knew _I would need to do this. And I was acting like it was coming out of the blue. It was...overwhelming...to say the least. I didn't know if I could go in there all dry eyed and calm...for sure not calm. I closed my eyes and tried to clear my thoughts. I just needed to be prepared for what I was going to have to face. And the lawyer was a woman. Clearly she would understand what I was going through. I calmed myself down after a few minutes and my breathing soon became steady. My heavy lids refused to open and before I knew it I drifted off to sleep.

---

I woke up on my floor.

My arm was twisted underneath me and I was lying face down. I had tears streaming down my face and they kept coming. I heard a knock at the door and it sounded almost angry. I could hear Edward on the other side of it calling my name. I scrambled and tried to sit up and by the time I was on my back Edward was in the door.

"Bella!" Edward yelled, dashing to me. I sat up and wiped my face. I couldn't even remember what my dream had been about...I didn't have to guess though. I choked on my tears and shivered. "What's wrong? What happened?" He asked, wiping my tears away.

"I fell asleep," I mumbled. I rested my back against my bed and Edward sat next to me, watching me with concern leaking into his eyes. "I think I had another dream." I shook my head. This was really getting out of hand. Waking up from any amount of sleep crying or shouting was starting to wear me down. In turn it was making me that much more tired...which in turn made me want to sleep more. And it goes on and on and on. Edward just stared at me, his face contorting with pain. I _hated, _hated with all my heart that I made him feel that way. It was because of my stupid nightmares. He said he needed to be able to take my pain away because it was killing him just as much.

"Do you keep having these nightmares every time you fall asleep?" He asked, gently touching my face like it would break if he touched it with too much force. I shook my head.

"Not all the time. I mean...if I'm having a really shitty day and I'm restless than I will probably have one. But on day's that are good I usually don't have ones that are as vivid."

"Did you have one last night?" I shook my head and smiled.

"No. But yesterday was probably the best day of my life." I took his hand in mine and squeezed it forcefully. He smiled my absolute favourite smile and kissed me.

"It was for me too," he said when he pulled away. "So how come today is a shitty day?" I laughed darkly and wiped the remaining tears off my face. I tried to smile my best.

"Charlie just called. My hearing is on Thursday." Edward's lips were a thin, tight line. His green eyes were unblinking.

"Thursday..." Edward repeated through gritted teeth. I nodded my head. He was so furious he was almost scaring me.

"Edward," I said, taking his hand up again. He didn't move. "Edward." I raised my voice. His eyes that had been temporarily transfixed on the floor met my eyes. He was breaking in two. "I can handle this."

"Bella you woke up on your floor in tears from a nightmare," he snapped at me. I was taken aback by his harsh tone...but he was right. My mouth was slightly hanging open and I just stared at him. "How the fuck do you think I can just sit here and let you go in there and face _him _when you wake up screaming just dreaming about him?" His voice was getting louder and louder. "How can you possibly be ready to face something like that Bella?"

"I..." I had no words. Really. Because he was absolutely right. I fumbled around with his hand and let it go. I pushed it away. I was pushing _him _away. I needed to organize my thoughts. If Edward was right – and he _was_ right – than how could I possibly prepare myself for this? I got off the ground and left Edward to sit there. I took off out of the room and headed down the hall. I needed to be alone for a minute.

"Bella?" I heard Alice call to me before I turned the corner. I kept walking. I didn't want to talk to anyone right now. I didn't even know where I was going. I just...walked. I slowed as I rounded the next corner and found myself at the end of the hall. I was near the bathroom and the common room...and my floor manager's room. _If you need anything you know where to find me. _I didn't even think before I knocked on Rosalie's door. I picked at my nails while I waited for her. The door opened and Rosalie stood before me with a shocked face.

"Oh Bella...come in," she said, stepping aside to allow me to enter. I stepped into the brightly lit room and saw Emmett sitting on her bed. She had a single room that was easily as big as mine and Alice's.

"If this is a bad time, I mean, I can come back...or something."

"Nonsense. Emmett can screw off for a bit," Rosalie said, flashing Emmett a smile.

"Edward's in my room," I told Emmett. "Room two-oh-seven. If you want to go to him." I really hated to impose and interrupt whatever they were doing. But I needed a woman's opinion. Someone who didn't know me as well. Alice was of course out of the question.

"Sure thing. I'll go hang with him for a bit." Emmett gave me his playful smile and smacked Rosalie on the ass as he was leaving the room. "See yah later babe." And then he was gone. I sat down at Rosalie's desk and waited for her to say something. I wasn't really sure what I was going to say to her.

"I don't really know why I'm here," I admitted, looking up from the ground.

"That's okay Bella. I'm here to listen. What happened? You look like you've been crying."

"Emmett told you what happened to me right?" She nodded her head solemnly at sat down on her bed.

"So..." I began, exhaling before I continued. "My dad called me and told me that the hearing has been arranged for Thursday. I have no choice but to go...otherwise the charges won't hold. I was freaking out at first but then I decided that I could handle it. Otherwise he would be released and everything that I suffered through would have been for nothing."

"So what? Now you've decided you can't handle it?" Rosalie asked me, cocking her head to the side.

"No. It wasn't so much me as it was Edward. I fell asleep when I got back from lecture and...Well I had a nightmare. I've been having them a lot lately. I always wake up crying...or screaming...or throwing up. The other night it was all three. And today I woke up on my floor crying because I had another one. Edward had been pounding on the door and when I didn't answer he came in and found me. I told him about the hearing and that I could handle it and he was furious. He said that if I couldn't even handle thinking about that night than how could I come to face the person who inflicted that on me? And he's right...and I don't know what to do." Rosalie looked away from me...like she was deep in thought.

"Okay..." She said, standing up. She started to pace the room and nodded her head along as she moved. "Well first of all you know Edward is right Bella. I mean if you're having these nightmares how can you possibly face him in a courtroom? But on the other hand..." She trailed off. "Okay listen Bella," she continued, coming to a stop right in front of me. "I don't know you at all. I don't know how you're handling this. From the looks of it not very well. But if I was you...and it was me in your situation I would walk in there and put that disgusting pig in his place. I would suck it up and face him with dignity and pride. Don't let him see how much he's affected you. Don't give him the satisfaction of knowing that he's made your life a living hell. Be strong. Don't listen to Edward. He's being too overprotective. You _have _to do this Bella. There's nothing he can do about it but support you." She smiled her beautiful smile at me.

She was right. I couldn't let that twisted fuck get the better of me – which is what I had decided myself before...before Edward. And she was right about him too. He was being too overprotective. I mean there are just some things that he can't shield me from...no matter how hard he tries. I knew it was killing him to see me like this and it was killing him that I had to go through with all of this shit. And I loved him for it. But he couldn't expect to take away all my pain and protect me from all the monsters in the world.

"Thank you so much," I said to Rosalie, standing up. I embraced her in a hug. She reciprocated, laughing light heartedly into my hair. "You're right. I can't let him get to me. And Edward..." I trailed off. I felt sort of bad for just leaving him in my room and taking off. He probably thought I was mad at him. Rosalie shook her head and her hair tickled my face.

"He just loves you too much Bella. Honestly. He's said some stuff to Emmett...and I mean...I've known Edward since he was in his sophomore year. I have never _ever _seen him like this before." She pulled away from me and her stunning green eyes met mine. She had to be the most beautiful person on the planet. Well she did rival one person I know. "Bella he is so in love with you." I stared at her, unblinking. He told Emmett that he was in love with me? I stammered for a minute trying to find words. My heart began to race.

"Wh...I mean...huh?" I asked Rosalie, searching her face for something that told me she was lying. Her perfectly sun-kissed face was composed. She smiled.

"He told Emmett that he's in love with you. Last night. Sometimes they talk on the phone at night. Emmett stayed here last night and I heard their whole conversation." My mouth was hanging open as Rosalie explained this all to me. Sure I knew that I was madly in love with Edward...and he'd told me that he loved me. But...never had I thought...I mean it does make sense. I shouldn't have been so surprised. But just to hear it. My mind was all over the place.

"Rose...he told...Emmett?" I was so at a loss for words it wasn't even funny. She nodded at me and I blinked about a million times within the span of a second. She started to laugh at me.

"Honestly Bella. You had to know that he's in love with you. You should see the way he looks at you. You know that floor meeting that we had?" I nodded my head – the first time I saw Edward. "Well...he may kill me for telling you this...but he was staring at you the entire time." I turned the darkest shade of red there was. My heart was racing like mad now. He had never told me this. I needed to see him. I hadn't left very graciously.

"I have to go Rose. I'm sorry." I felt bad for leaving her when I just barged in here like this.

"No apologies. I'm more than happy to help. But don't you dare tell Edward what I told you about the floor meeting. He'll pound me." She laughed at herself. I smiled back at her.

"I'll send Emmett back," I told her as I bolted out of the room. With every beat of my heart as I padded down the hall, the only word I heard was Edward.

**E.P.O.V**

I rocked myself back and forth on the floor after Bella left. I didn't know what to fucking do. She obviously wanted to be alone. I couldn't stop myself from lashing out at her like I had. She thought she was ready for facing him when she was waking up crying every time she even _thought _about him. I gave her kudos for trying to be brave...but I wouldn't be able to stand seeing her break down afterwards. It was killing me more than anything else ever had. I heard the door open and looked eagerly expecting Bella. I instantly wanted to apologize to her. If she thought she was ready to face him...than she was ready. I just wanted to help her as much as I could and do what was best for her. I was disappointed when Alice walked through the door with Jasper. My head was rested on my knees and Alice froze when she saw me.

"Edward?" Alice asked, concern leaking into her voice. "Where'd Bella go?" I shrugged.

"I don't know. She took off."

"Whoa man you okay?" Jasper said to me, stepping around Alice. Jazz and I were getting pretty close. He was a great guy and I'm glad he was my roommate. He always listened to me ramble on about Bella. He knew I wasn't handling her situation at all well. I shook my head. He came over and sat down on the floor next to me. "What happened?" Alice came to join us.

"Well I came here after lecture to see Bella and when I got here she didn't fucking answer the door and I was worried. So I came in and she was on the floor...crying."

"What!" Alice yelled. "What happened?" I gave her a 'don't fucking interrupt' stare and she cringed into Jasper's side. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"She had fallen asleep and rolled off the bed. She had another nightmare. And she told me that Charlie called and told her the hearing was on Thursday. Naturally I was furious...I mean she can't handle that. She wakes up crying when she has a dream about it...how the fuck is she supposed to face him on Thursday?" I looked back and forth between Alice and Jazz and they were paying close attention...not daring to interrupt. "I told her...and she...well I think she's pissed at me. She took off and I don't know where she went." After I finished explaining I heard three booming raps on the door. Alice jumped up and went to open it. It was Emmett.

"Hey," Emmett said to Alice. They had never met before.

"Alice that's Emmett...my brother," I said, standing up. "Em what are you doing here?" He shrugged a little.

"Bella's in Rose's room...she told me to come here. She wanted to talk with Rose." I calmed down a great amount because I finally knew where Bella had run off to. But my heart raced that much more. I made to move around Emmett. I needed to apologize. I couldn't help the fact that I was protective of her. Emmett wouldn't budge though. "Edward just let her be for now man. She needs to talk to someone that's not you." I growled. But he was probably right. I stalked over to Bella's bed and the four of us sat there...nobody dared to talk.

"What should I do?" I whispered just loud enough so that everyone could hear. Jazz was sitting beside me and he was the one who spoke.

"Listen Edward," Jazz began, sighing. "Now we all know how darn much you love Bella. I mean...I'm just getting to know you and you seem to be fairly hung up on her. And we also know that you are breaking into pieces watching her suffer. But she has to go through with this. And you being all damned unsupportive aren't going to help her one bit. Whether or not she can handle it is no longer of any importance. Don't you understand that? Either way she _will _have to do this. How do you think she feels? Knowing that her boyfriend is telling her that she's not ready for something she has to do." My heart sunk. I had been such a dick. I never thought about it like that. I had thought I was telling her to make sure she was ready, and to make sure that she was aware of what she was committing to. But I had been telling her that I didn't think she would be ready which probably made her feel...just horrible. I felt like I was going to puke.

"Oh god..." I said, darting my eyes around the room.

"Man just talk to her. Explain the mystery that is Edward Cullen. I'm sure she'll forgive you," Emmett said to me. I shook my head and felt the bile rise in my throat.

"She won't. Em, you should have seen her face. It was like I had slapped her." Alice perked her head up at my response and almost full out laughed at me.

"You've got to be kidding Edward. You think she won't forgive you? The guy that she's in love with?" As soon as the words escaped Alice's lips she covered her mouth and raised both her eyebrows. Had she really just said that?

"What?" I nearly yelled at Alice. I stood up from the bed now. I didn't really know what to do. Bella was fucking in love with me! My heart...it was fucking pounding. I had just been such a fucking dick to her. I needed to go get her. Explain. Make things all better. "I need to see her. I need...I just need to go. What's Rose's room number?" When Emmett didn't respond I was almost angry. "Emmett!" I yelled.

"Two sixteen." He rushed the words out of his mouth. He knew I was fucking freaking out. I bolted out of the room and stopped dead when I saw Bella walking down the hall. Her steps were slow...she was almost not walking at all. She was gesturing wildly with her hands and looked like she was talking to herself. _I love you._ My heart spelled out those words every time it pumped.I just stood watching her, my breathing growing heavy. Her head finally turned up from the ground and she saw me. She paused her movements in mid air and I could see her starting to breathe in heavier too. Her face was expressionless as she began walking towards me. I looked to the ground; not sure if she was going to hit me or do something worse. She stopped dead in front of me and inched her way into my view. She lifted my face with her fingers and kissed my chin, my jaw line, my cheek, my lips. She wasn't mad at me? She pulled away from me and her fucking amazing eyes studied my face; probably trying to deduce whether or not I was mad at her. I hooked my hands underneath her armpits and pulled her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I fervently pressed my lips to hers. I staggered backwards as our tongues met. I found the wall a second later and pressed myself against it. Her fingers tangled into my hair like always and I pressed my tongue against hers urgently. I rubbed my hands all along her back, itching to take her clothes off. She got down off of me after the erotic make-up kiss and tugged on my hand. I was so disoriented I didn't even know where she was taking me.

She towed me down the hall and I watched her perfect hips sway back and forth. She rounded the corner and didn't hesitate to walk into my room. She closed the door when I was in and dead bolted it shut. I didn't have to ask what she clearly wanted; I wanted it too. I hastily took my shirt off and threw it to the floor. When she turned around and saw me shirtless her mouth hung open. I nearly lunged at her and almost ripped her blouse right off. It had fucking buttons. God damn. I would hunt down and kill the person that invented buttons. I undid the first few and became too eager when I was halfway down. I tore her shirt open and buttons flew off her blouse. I tossed it to the ground and took up kissing her exposed neck. Her fingers immediately went to work on my pants. I dug my teeth into her skin as she started to tug them down. She emitted a guttural sound from the back of her throat. I gripped the sides of her tight yoga pants and slid them swiftly over her ass. They pooled around her ankles much like my jeans were pooled around mine. She stepped out of them and pressed her body right against mine; her flesh burning with desire. I brought my hands around to her back and quickly undid her bra. I moved my lips to hers as I slid the bra off her shoulders, down her arms and dropped it to the ground.

Her hands left a blazing trail all along my stomach as she made her way down my chest. She slid her hands into my boxers and pulled them down. They dropped to the floor and I kicked them out of the way. I moved my hands up into her hair and gripped the back of her head as hard as I could without hurting her. She took her hands away from my body and I frowned at the loss of contact. I looked down and what she was doing was even better. She slid her panties off and tossed them to the ground. I kissed her cheek roughly and wrapped my arms around her waist. I kissed all down her neck, her collarbone, her chest, her breasts. I inched my way down further, getting onto my knees. I kissed her abdomen and made my way down to her stomach. I kissed all down her left leg, avoiding the stitches, and planted a final kiss on her knee. Her fingers were brushing through my hair with fervour. I journeyed back up to her lips, bringing my hand between her legs when my tongue met hers. She quivered beneath me and dug her fingernails into my skin. I groaned at the pleasure and pain it caused. The combination was driving me wild with passion. I sped up my movements, causing her to moan into my mouth. I didn't think it was at all possible; but right now I wanted her ten times more than I had wanted her yesterday. It was almost painful. I took my hand away from her wetness and she didn't even protest. She broke our kiss and forcefully shoved against my chest. I knew she wasn't pushing me away; she was pushing me to the bed. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her with me. She wasn't fucking going anywhere.

I fell onto the bed and inched my way back as Bella felt her way up my body. She started at my knee and traced her finger up my thigh. When she reached my dick she wrapped her hand around it and pumped it up and down a few times. I fucking shuddered. But she wasn't stopping there. She continued to move her hand up my body and when she got to my face she traced her finger along my bottom lip; I kissed the tip of it. She lowered herself down onto me and I rested firmly between her warm legs.

We spent the next half hour in a raging passion. Sweating and panting and moaning and groaning and grunting and thrusting and shaking and trembling. We had been so in the moment that we had effectively had sex all over the room. My bed, Jazz's bed, my desk, the floor, against the door...again. That's where I finished. Bella had both her arms braced against the wall trying to hold herself up as I thrusted into her. She was moaning so loud that people in the hall – if there were any – would probably hear her. I finished, quivering into her neck. My one hand had been braced against the door as the other held Bella up. With each of my movements her lower back would slam against the door. She didn't seem to give a fuck though. She dropped her hands when I stopped and whimpered a little bit. I nipped at her neck and smiled – for the first time...in what seemed like ever. Her body was almost completely limp between me and the door and I peeled her off of it and carried her to the bed. We hadn't said a word to each other since before, and nothing needed to be said. The hot make-up sex was my way of saying I'm sorry; I'm sure it was hers too. And I couldn't fucking say no to that apology. I lay Bella down on the bed and she released her legs from around me. I pulled out of her and took the condom off. I returned to Bella lying still on my bed with her eyes closed. Her head turned to me and her eyes opened – all full of love. She smiled a gorgeous smile at me and lifted her hand. She motioned me to the bed and she moved to the top. She pulled down the covers and got underneath. I climbed in after her and we both tangled into each other while the cold comforter covered our bodies. She rested her head against my chest and nuzzled her face into it.

"I love you," she told me, gripping my bare sides. I pulled her closer – as close as I could – and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too." We lay there forever, in silence. The only sound filling the room was our soft breathing and our beating hearts.

**Please review! **


	16. Truths and Lies

**A/N: **Sorry the chapter has taken a few days. Thanks to those few who have reviewed. It is much appreciated. *Again I do not own any of the wonderful characters*

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**B.P.O.V**

My eyes fluttered open and I was practically sweating; and very disoriented. I didn't know where I was. Well it took me all of about a fraction of a second to remember what I had done before I went to sleep and I smiled into Edward's chest. He was still asleep. His deep, rhythmic breaths in and out were almost lulling me back to sleep myself. I didn't even know what time it was. Light was still filtering in through the window...so it wasn't too late. I still had time before I had to go to class. I was interrupted of my absent thoughts by a soft knock on the door. Oh shit. I pried myself away from Edward's grip and he surprisingly didn't wake up. In our insanity before the sheet had been pushed to the end of the bed. Well at least I had some luck. It was probably going to be Jasper or Alice or something. I wrapped the sheet around my entire body and covered Edward back up because he was still naked too. I made my way to the door. I looked through the peep hole and what do you know? It was Alice and Jasper. I shook my head. I slid the dead bolt out and unlocked it. I opened the door and Jasper froze. He looked away from me almost immediately and Alice stared at me with a smile.

"Hey," I said to them. "Edward's asleep." Alice snorted at me. I smirked at her in return.

"Oh," Jasper said, looking at the floor. He was so nervous it was adorable. He kept mumbling something incoherently behind Alice.

"Well we came to get you two because it's like almost six," Alice said to me. Holy fuck; we had been sleeping for hours.

"Really? Oh god...well we fell asleep. I'll wake him up." I went to turn back into the room but Alice held the door open.

"Um Jasper just needs to grab something and then we'll go. We'll meet you at Commons. Because that party is at seven." Jasper looked all fidgety and spastic behind Alice. I laughed. I just went over to Edward's bed and sat down next to his sprawled figure. Jasper came into the room and rummaged around for something on his desk. Alice and Jasper were going to their first college party tonight – and Alice was nothing less than excited.

"Jasper your room is still so messy!" Alice screeched at him. She hated messes. Hence the reason why our room was always spotless. Alice Deadly Sin number five: being messy. "I mean look at the floor and around Edward's desk..." She trailed off pointing to the desk. I blushed horribly. That was our fault. Edward had shoved everything off his desk to his floor right before he practically threw me on it.

"Um that's not Jasper's fault. It's Edward's mess," I told Alice. She shrugged at me.

"All the same. It's so bad you can hardly see the floor," she laughed. Well she was right about that one. Well except for the small amount of space that I had cleared right before...

I heard Edward shuffle on the bed and I shifted my body towards him. His sleepy eyes met mine and he smiled so wide that my heart skipped a beat. It quickly faded as he noticed Alice and Jasper.

"Heh...uh, hey," he said, sitting up a little bit. "What's going on?" He looked so confused it was absolutely adorable. His hair was messier than it normally was, stray strands sticking up in every which direction and he looked just...cute as a damn button.

"Getting my key...I need my meal card," Jasper replied, still rummaging. "Got it," he said, turning to Alice. She smiled at him and motioned with her hand for him to go to her. He met her with two short strides and took her hand. I wanted to scream 'awe' but Alice would have hurt me. Jasper turned back to us when he had Alice tucked right next to him. "We'll save you two a seat at the usual table." I nodded at him and they took off out the door.

"Good Morning," I said, turning to Edward. He smiled lazily at me. I ran my fingers through his hair and he closed his eyes and sighed. He shook his head.

"I was mad when I woke up," he said quietly, opening his eyes. His mesmerizing gaze met mine. I withdrew my hand. He was still mad at me for leaving? I felt horrible. I hadn't been really mad at him...just frustrated.

"I'm sorry...I mean about before – I was..." He put his hand up to stop me and shook his head again. I was monumentally confused. Why was he mad at me then?

"I'm not mad about that Bella. But I'm sorry about that too. I shouldn't have said that to you. I believe in you. You'll be ready for this." He smiled. I tried to reciprocate my best smile back but he was still mad at me.

"So why are you mad at me then?" I asked looking to the bed covers.

"Because," he said dragging it out. I looked up to him. "You weren't beside me when I woke up." I blushed a deep pink. I couldn't help but smile. "I didn't like it." He smirked at me and yawned. I yawned as well...because it was ridiculously contagious.

"I'm sorry," I told him. He opened his arms and sat up. I crawled over to him and he crushed me into a hug.

"You're forgiven. Just don't let it ever happen again. When I fall asleep with you I want to wake up with you." I nodded my head and it lightly grazed his chin. I noticed that he had said _when _and not _if. _This made me smile so wide that my mouth hurt. I was finally...for the first time in over a week...completely at ease.

**E.P.O.V**

"Okay. So you have the pictures?" I asked Bella. She nodded her head and I noticed that she was concentrating on breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth – probably to stop herself from throwing up.

"And you know what you're going to say right?" Alice asked her from the driver's seat. Alice sped down the main street to the courthouse. Jazz was in the passenger's seat of her Porsche and Bella and I were in the back. She was holding her own pretty good right now. She hadn't broken down yet. And I hoped that she wouldn't at all. Bella again nodded and Alice watched her through her rear view mirror.

"You'll do great Bella," Jasper told her as he turned around. She opened her eyes and gave him a smile. She was the strongest person I had ever met. I couldn't imagine what she was going through right now. If I was her I would have been fucking spazzing out.

"Thanks Jasper," she told him. Alice pulled into the parking lot of the courthouse five minutes later and Bella began to shake.

"Shh," I whispered into her hair. I rubbed her shoulder as if to calm her down. She nodded her head.

"I can do this..." She whispered back. I kissed her on the forehead and opened my door. I pulled her out with me and the four of us made our way up the steps. When we were inside the brightly lit hall it was loud and full of people. I heard a woman's voice calling Bella's name a minute later and we both looked up at the same time. A tall woman with blonde hair wearing a grey pinstriped pants-suit was hurriedly walking towards us. I assumed it was Bella's attorney.

"Bella dear," she said, stopping in front of us. I wonder how in the hell she knew that this was Bella? I assumed Charlie.

"That's me," Bella replied confidently.

"It's nice to meet you," she said to Bella taking her hand. Bella shook the woman's hand and smiled at her. It was a weak smile. "My name is Heidi. I'm a friend of your fathers. I'm also the one he contacted to help you out. So you have pictures for me?" Heidi asked Bella. I had been holding on to them and handed them to her.

"Ah perfect," Heidi rejoiced, taking the pictures. She looked them all over and she seemed to be pleased. "Okay Bella, I need you to come with me now. We have to talk privately before the hearing." Heidi made to walk off and Bella hesitated. I quickly bent down and kissed her lips.

"I'll see you in there. You'll be fine. Keep your eyes on me," I told her, cupping her face in my hands. I stared deep into her eyes and she nodded. I had told her not to even look at him. I told her I'd be sitting as close as I could and told her to keep her eyes on me.

"I love you," she said, kissing me again.

"Love you too." She took off after Heidi and left Alice, Jazz and I to the chaos that consumed the crowded hall.

**B.P.O.V**

I stood in the now empty hall with Heidi. I was freaking out...to say the least. I paced back and forth in front of the door and she just watched me. I thought about Edward – I concentrated on his face, his mouth, his eyes, his hand...anything about him. I still wasn't calm. I paced anxiously. Rose popped into my mind. I repeated her words in my head. _I would walk in there and put that disgusting pig in his place. I would suck it up and face him with dignity and pride. Don't let him see how much he's affected you. Don't give him the satisfaction of knowing that he's made your life a living hell. _I kept repeating those same words in my head. Over and over. I hadn't seen Rose or Emmett before but I knew they were here. Emmett was a witness.

"Okay Bella, were up," Heidi told me. I paused my movements as she opened the large oak door standing in front of me. She held it open for me and I, as confidently and calm as possible, entered the courtroom.

---

I took very slow and deliberate steps as Alice and Rose each took one of my arms when we exited the courtroom. I was...stunned. I hadn't broken down...I hadn't freaked out like I thought I would have. I didn't even shed a tear. Was there something wrong with me? Should I not have cowered in fear at the mere sight of him? I had just made myself forever confused. I _had _to be fucked up in some way shape or form. But I had done what Edward told me to do. My eyes barely left his beautiful, worried face the entire time. When I spoke I blocked out everyone else and imagined myself just telling my story to him and him alone; like I had done the first time. When he first told me he loved me. One of the ultimate worst and best days of my life. With me it always seemed to work like that. I guess I had to take the good with the bad right?

"See Bella. I told you you'd do great," Jasper said to me, bringing me back to reality; where I was still walking at a snail's pace gripping Alice and Rose for dear life. I stopped what I was doing. I was fine? But I probably looked like I was in some sort of state of post-traumatic shock by the way I was acting. I should be in a fucking hospital. I swivelled my head to where Jasper's voice came from and gave him a rather large smile. He smiled awkwardly back; probably noticing my random shift in mood.

"Thanks Jazz," I said, using the nickname that Edward had for him. I liked it. But everyone stared at me. Edward especially.

"Bella are you okay?" Rose asked. Every single one of them was eyeing me like I was going to break into a million little pieces.

"I'm great," I replied airily. "I'm so glad that's over and done with." I smiled at Edward and his first sceptical face now broke out into a smile. My heart skipped a beat. Would I ever get used to his beauty and perfection? I suspected not.

"Well then I think we should fucking celebrate man," Emmett chimed. Party? Eh...maybe not the greatest idea. "Sigma Phi's in desperate need. And I do believe you are more than overdue for a birthday bash Bella." Oh god I had forgotten all about that. Edward tilted his head at me as if to ask me whether or not I wanted to go.

"Come on Bella. We _need _to drink together," Rose encouraged. I contemplated. I hadn't drank in a really long time. Since before Christmas. Well that's a lie. The last time I drank had to have been New Years. Wow that was a long time. Alice then chimed in. She knew she could convince me to do anything.

"Yeah Bells. Let's just get fucked for one night. It's been way too long." I stood gaping at her. Alice was like a fucking trucker lately. I liked it.

"Fine. I'm in," I said, turning to Edward.

"Me too," he said, smiling a little less brightly now.

"You drinking man?" Emmett asked him. Edward gave him a tight nod. They exchanged a look that I didn't understand. They reminded me of the way Alice and I reacted to one another; reading each other's faces like open books. That's how Edward was with Emmett. But what was wrong? I sensed that something wasn't right. Edward seemed too tense. He had said that he was into the drinking scene before. I mean what was wrong with him drinking now? I just shrugged it off.

"Hell yeah!" Rose hollered. "Let's go get some booze Em." They were the only two out of the six of us that were actually legal to drink. Emmett was still staring at Edward. It was semi-intense.

"Okay let's go babe." Emmett said after a minute. Alice was squealing excitedly next to me. I knew that she had wanted to go to a college party with me since she got here. She loved to party – naturally. In many respects we were exactly the same and in other respects we were polar opposites. Opposites attract though right?

"Oh by the way do you guys want anything in particular? We'll get a few kegs but if you want something else..." Rose said. I scrunched my nose up in disgust. EW, beer. I hated the taste. If I could give piss a taste it would be beer. I cracked a wide smile at Alice. She knew exactly what I was thinking. Our drink of choice.

"Tequila," we both said at the same time. We laughed. But Edward and Emmett had turned to stone, and looked just as pale. Rose was awkwardly tensed. Okay...what the fuck was up? Jasper looked clueless next to Alice. He was just as natural and at ease as ever.

"What's wrong?" I asked Edward. He immediately relaxed and smiled at me.

"Nothing. Do you and Alice have a tequila fascination?" He laughed. I smiled back. But I knew he was avoiding my question.

"We _love _tequila," I said, putting my hand over my heart. Everyone laughed now. We all left the courthouse and headed to the cars. Emmett and Rose took off and hopped into Emmett's beastly Jeep while the rest of us got into Alice's Porsche.

"Bella we have to go shopping!" Alice excitedly screeched at me when I was in the car. I laughed at her as Edward shut the door. She always made it a point to shop for the perfect outfit right before going to any sort of event. I had gotten used to her persistence over the years and simply agreed because I knew that eventually she would force me to go...one way or another.

"Okay let's go then. Want to come shopping?" I asked Edward. He smiled and was about to respond when Alice started yelling at me from the front seat.

"Whoa, whoa, now. Hold on. No boys allowed Bella," Alice shook her tiny index finger at me. She was so bloody stubborn. She hated shopping with guys. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Sorry I guess not." Edward gave me a little shrug and slowly bent his head to kiss me on the lips. It was full of urgency and passion. I hadn't anticipated a kiss like this; and therefore I wasn't anticipating my reaction. I supposed that I temporarily forgot I was in Alice's back seat. Everything in the world usually fell to pieces when Edward kissed me like this. All that existed was me and him. He usually only kissed me with this kind of passion when we were alone. I gripped the back of his head tightly and slid my tongue in and out of his mouth. He groaned a little bit and that's about when I heard Jasper clear his throat.

"Oh god Bella! Get a fucking room," Alice shouted at me. Again...why the fuck was Tinkerbelle turning trucker on me?

"God Alice, watch your fucking mouth," I laughed to her when I released Edward. She laughed a girly laugh back at me and pulled out onto the main street and headed back to campus.

---

We were back in front of Berry fifteen minutes later and Alice was making Edward and Jasper stay there. She refused to let them come shopping. I got out behind Edward to say bye. Alice and Jasper were making out in the front seat of the car. I caught all the panting before I stepped out unfortunately.

"Are you okay?" I asked Edward. I still wanted to know what the hell was bothering him from before. He nodded.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Before...when we said that we wanted tequila you like...went all fucking marble statue on me." He laughed a little at my comparison.

"Sorry. I just...sort of have...this – aversion to tequila."

"Oh. Bad experience?"

"You could call it that yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. I stood up on my tip toes and kissed him.

"Well then no tequila for you," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. He rubbed his nose against mine. Eskimo Kiss.

"I love you Edward Cullen," I said, kissing his nose.

"And I love you Isabella Swan," he replied, grinning wide. I returned to normal height after I kissed him again. I had heard Jasper close the door to the car.

"See you after," I told Edward, making my way to the passenger door. I hopped in and waved them both good-byes. Alice sped away from our boyfriends, making her way to the mall faster than she had ever gone before.

**E.P.O.V**

I fucking _hated _liars. And now I was one of them. I couldn't believe that I could lie to Bella like that. I told her everything. But I just couldn't bring myself to tell her. It was just so fucking stupid and juvenile. And since she had just gone through all this shit I considered her to be the strongest person I knew. I couldn't let her think I was this weak shit head. I wanted her to think the same of me. But I was going to be in trouble. Her fucking drink of choice was tequila. And god damn did I miss tequila. I remembered when I had told her about Tanya's dad walking in on us...I had been fucking drinking hard core that night; drinking tequila. Like I had drank tequila every other time I partied during my junior year. I had told Bella that I was really into the drinking scene back in high school...I just failed to mention just _how much _into the drinking scene I was. I was almost fucking borderline alcoholic with the way I drank. I never drank alone in the bathroom or any shit like that. But when I partied...I partied hard. To the point where I wouldn't even know where the fuck I was. Carlisle and Esme never knew how much I drank and Emmett made sure of that. He was the fucking best big brother I could have asked for. He was my big brother and my best friend.

Half-way through senior year when Emmett had come home from college with a buddy for Thanksgiving weekend we had all gone to a party in Seattle. It was at U of W and I had already been drinking before we left. That was the point that Emmett had become concerned with my unnatural drinking habits. I really had no reason as to why I drank as much as I did. I just enjoyed drinking at parties so much that I became almost immune to the burn of the tequila. I was all fine and tipsy, until I wasn't. It would get to the point where I wouldn't even remember how many shots I did or how many other drinks I would have in collaboration with them. Emmett wasn't drinking at this particular party because he was driving. And that night I got fucked up...to say the absolute very least. I had never been so drunk in my life. I had thrown up repeatedly in the bushes outside of the house we were at, and Emmett had to stop four times on the way home from Seattle. When we got home I was still fucked out of my mind but I remembered Emmett raising fucking hell. He was pissed at me. He told me I was being a fucking shit for doing this to myself for no good reason. And he was right. I just drank...just because. It was just a sociable thing that I did way too fucking often.

Emmett later refused to let me drink and refused to buy me any more alcohol with his fake. Which is when I decided to get my own. I had the best fake out of all my friends and it had worked on several occasions. But when Emmett found out I had gotten one behind his back he flipped. He told me I was being irresponsible and that if I didn't watch it I would end up in the hospital. That night...the night he told me all this, was the first time I had seen Emmett cry – ever. He had said that it was killing him to see me get so fucked up that I couldn't even remember my own name. He asked me then if my life was so horrible that I wanted to forget all about him and Carlisle and Esme. And that was the point that I realized how much I had monumentally fucked things up. He thought I didn't love them. He thought I hated my life because I was adopted...when in reality it was the complete opposite. I loved them all to death and loved that they had adopted me. They were my fucking family. I made my bear of a big brother cry. I felt like shit. By this time it was around Christmas and I promised Emmett that I would be sober – for good. I made it my New Years resolution to get on track at school, because I wanted desperately to go to Dartmouth, and to quit drinking so much. Naturally I found it hard to drink any amount and just quit drinking all together. It seemed to work better that way. And I hadn't touched a drop since last Christmas.

And now I had lied. About it all. To Bella. The one person I loved on this planet more than everything I had ever loved in my life combined. I wanted to tell her everything. But I was afraid that if I told her about that blur of my life that she would think less of me. She would realize that I'm not the person she thought I was. And I could not let her see that because that would send me down in the gutter with Tyler and Mike. She thought she had known who they were and then they did that one little thing that fucked everything up. Well this was my little thing. And I was not about to fuck up the best thing that ever happened to me. So I would go to this fucking frat party with my girlfriend and watch her drink tequila. I would not touch tequila. I would drink only beer. I still wanted to tell her – bad – but I just couldn't. I wouldn't allow myself to show her the side of me that I absolutely loathed with every fibre of my being. She didn't deserve to be subjected to that when she already had some sort of image of who I was. I'd be fucking damned if her perception of me was to be any more skewed by my past.

"Edward bud, what's up?" Jazz asked me when we were back in our room. Wow I needed fucking help. I hadn't even consciously realized I was moving. But here we were. Back in our fucking messy assed room...what the fuck? Did Jasper walk into the right room?

"Uh, Jazz...?" I said. The fucking room was spotless. Immaculate. He looked to my shocked face and laughed.

"Don't ask. Alice wouldn't hang in here unless it was clean. When you and Bella were in their room before the hearing she came here. And she refused to sit unless it was spotless," he told me with a shrug. I should have guessed. Bella said that she was an anal neat freak.

"Wow. You can see the floor," I joked to him. I took up a spot on my bed and Jasper took up a spot on his.

"Can I talk to you about something?" He asked me. I noted that he was nervous.

"Shoot," I told him. I know that I had rambled on enough about Bella and school to bore him to tears. So I was fairly sure that I could handle whatever it was that he was going to talk to me about.

"It's about Alice." _Please tell me that you are not going to break her little heart. _Well that thought almost made me laugh. Because with the way that Jazz looked at Alice...I could tell it was love. And it also made me laugh because I thought if Jasper were to end things with Alice she would probably have the capacity to hurt him severely; causing major bodily harm.

"Okay well...first of all. I mean – you know that I've never had...sex," he said to me, swallowing hard.

"Which I don't fucking understand. How in the hell do you do it?" He shrugged.

"I wanted to wait for the right one," he said to me in an almost whisper. My stomach almost jumped out of my mouth at his words. I wasn't going to go all sappy like chicks usually were with these things. But the only way I could describe what Jazz had just said was with the word adorable. He thought Alice was the 'right one'.

"And you think that Alice...?" I asked. His calm green eyes met mine. In a weird way, despite the fact that we had only known each other for about a month, Jazz always made me relaxed and comfortable. There was just something about him.

"Yes." He nodded. "I think she's the one that I've been waiting for. And...well, I love her," he told me. I smiled so fucking wide at him.

"Wow Jazz. That's just...that's great man. I can guarantee she feels the same way." He smiled hopefully back.

"Did she say anything to you?" He asked, raising and eyebrow. I shook my head.

"No. But I just know man. You guys..." I broke off, thinking about Bella and I. "Well you look at each other the way Bella and I look at each other." He kept smiling at me and rested his head against the wall.

"Should I tell her yet? I mean we've been going out for like...three weeks. No not even. Definitely not yet. Too soon; I'll scare her away or something." Jazz was getting all nervous and flustered. He usually got talkative when he was nervous. He just kept rambling on about how it was too soon and she would get scared. I shook my head at him.

"Jazz I told Bella that I loved her after...what, four days?"

"You don't think it will completely freak Alice out?" He asked nervously.

"I don't. But I can ask Bella to ask Alice if that would make you feel better?"

"Okay," he sputtered at me. He continued to mutter to himself in his Southern drawl and I could hardly understand what he was even going on about. He didn't need to worry. I knew that Alice loved him. I could see it in both their eyes that they loved each other. I don't understand why it was so hard for him to see it. I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Bella asking her if Alice loved Jazz. She replied a minute later informing me that she was in fact 'head over heels'. I smirked at the phone and looked up to Jazz mumbling to himself while staring at the ceiling.

"Jasper?" I asked.

"What?" He replied nervously.

"Bella said, and I quote, that she's head over heels," I said to him. A big fucking grin spread across his face.

"So should I tell her then?" Man he needed to fucking calm himself down. I wondered what would happen when they had sex for the first time. I almost laughed out loud at the thought of Jasper having a spaz attack then and bit my tongue.

"Yes you should tell her," I laughed. I responded to Bella telling her that Jazz felt the same and that she could _not _tell Alice. She swore secrecy with a text back and told me that she loved me. I felt a pang of guilt deep in my chest. She had known that something was wrong with me before. And I had looked her right in the eyes and told her a lie. If she ever found out what I was hiding...she would just hate me. Even though I wanted desperately to confess my fucked up junior year...I couldn't bring myself to do it. I needed help; I needed to tell Jazz.

"Can I talk to you about something?" He was still smiling when he shifted his gaze to mine. It was quickly replaced with concern when he noted my seriousness.

"Whoa. Dude, you okay? What's wrong?" When I sighed and shut my phone he took a stab at what he thought was bothering me. "It's not Bella is it?" He asked, sitting up in anticipation for my problem.

"Yes. I mean...sort of. Not in a bad way. I just – I mean...I kind of lied to her." Jazz cocked an eyebrow at me.

"About what?"

"I...okay. Jazz back in high school I wasn't the brainiac and I wasn't the golden boy and I wasn't the jock. I used to drink – a lot. You know...to the point where you don't fucking know where you are?" He nodded. I knew that Jazz was a pretty good drinker. He was from Texas? What the hell else was there to do down there? He had told me in the car that he was a funnel type of guy as we drivelled over the excitement of the party. I had tried to appear interested in Jazz's funnel stories and tried to seem eager to go to the party when I was in fact almost dreading the closeness of tequila and the pull I knew it would have on me.

"Edward what does this have to do with Bella?"

"She doesn't know that I was almost fucking alcoholic with the amount I used to drink. I mean when she told me she wanted tequila I wanted to die. That's all I used to drink...before Emmett helped me get sober for good. I haven't drank since Christmas." Jazz just eyed me curiously.

"Why didn't you tell her?"

"I can't do it. I can't tell her. She'd fucking hate me. I mean...I sometimes hate myself for the way I used to be. I can't even begin to imagine what she'd think."

"Oh fuck off Edward." I looked up to him with furrowed brows. Jazz never really swore much. His tone was extremely harsh though. "Bella fucking loves you. She won't hate you."

"That doesn't matter," I snapped back. I wanted him to understand my reasoning for all of this. "Jazz...you don't understand how heavily fucked up I used to get. I just can't tell her. She would think so much less of me. But I can't stand lying to her either." I put my head in my hands and pulled hard on my hair. "I don't fucking know what to do?" I was so frustrated that I wanted to rip out all my bronze locks until I was bald.

"I think you should tell her the truth," Jasper finally responded. I looked up to him to find that he now had a calm and righteous gaze that was staring me right in the face. His confidence jolted me and I knew instantaneously that he was right. I couldn't lie to Bella when I loved her like I did. But I needed to tell her when I was ready. Because I knew that when I did tell her she'd fucking leave me.

"You're right...but I can't tell her today. I need time." Jazz was still staring at me but he nodded.

"Good. You just can't lie to her man. That's the thing she won't forgive you for."

I knew he was right. Who knew that fucking Southerner's were so damn wise? I was thankful that Jazz was this persuasive rational person. I probably would have fucked things up with Bella if I had decided on full out lying to her. After Jazz and I were done talking I lied down on my bed and put my hands underneath my head. I tried to think of what exactly it was that I was planning on saying to Bella. _So I lied before when I said nothing was wrong. And about my 'aversion to tequila'. I lied about that too. See I used to be practically alcoholic and tequila was my poison. _She'd fucking walk out the door and never look back. The more I thought about it, about Bella leaving me, the more upset I got. The more upset I got...the more I felt like drinking. I hated myself for thinking about drinking when I was upset. It usually used to calm my nerves. I didn't even think as I made my way to the fridge. Jazz had some beers left over from the party that he went to with Alice the day that Bella and I got into that...misunderstanding. I swung the fridge door open and there was a six-pack sitting there.

"Mind if I have one?" I asked Jazz. He shook his head and smiled.

"Toss me one too." I passed him the can and opened mine. I chugged half of the tall boy in about three seconds. The cold, familiar taste of the bubbly liquid was relieving. I was sure that it would calm my mood. I thought that the sounds of getting drunk tonight were rapidly becoming more and more appealing with each sip. By the time I was finished the first and onto my second was when I decided that getting drunk for the first time in almost ten months seemed like a fucking fantastic idea. Jazz and I ended up each drinking three beers, and when they were gone I felt infinitely better. I was nowhere close to feeling a buzz...just happier. That was about the time I heard the knock on the door. I almost jumped in excitement. Bella was back; and I fucking missed her. I ran to the door and swung it open to have Alice push past me into the room. Bella smiled at me. She had a few shopping bags in each hand and when I wrapped my arms around her waist she dropped them to the ground.

"Miss me?" She asked, giggling into my hair. I smiled.

"You have no idea," I replied, pressing my lips to hers. She pushed our faces closer together and I parted my lips. Her soft warm tongue entered my mouth, and to my great dissatisfaction she quickly pulled it back out. I frowned.

"What?" I asked. Her eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Have you been drinking? You taste like beer," she said, scrunching her nose up in the most fucking adorable way possible.

"Yeah. Jazz and I had a couple. He had some left over from that party they went to."

"Oh..." She said, tilting her head to the side.

"You drank without us?" I heard Alice yell from behind me. I laughed and so did Bella.

"I'm sorry," I told her. She shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. I just wanted to drink with you too. That's something we haven't done together yet." I smiled and kissed her again.

"We'll have plenty time at the party." I told her, kissing her neck now. She slipped her fingers into my hair and tugged lightly on a chunk of it. It caused me to nip softly at her neck which in turn elicited a quiet moan from Bella's lips. I tightened my hold on her and stepped fully out of my room, letting the door close shut behind me. I kissed all down Bella's neck and pulled her sweater aside with a swift brush of my fingers. I kissed her flawless skin that stretched across her collarbone and she began moving her fingers through my hair at a quicker pace. I knew that when she started to get like this that it meant that she was turned on. I pulled the top of her v-neck shirt down to expose the peak of her breast and her black lacy bra. I kissed the top of it and she lightly hit me on the top of the head.

"Edward!" She said, pulling away a little. "In the hall? Really?" She said, giving me a coy smile. She dropped to the floor and grabbed all of her bags in one hand and took my hand in the other. She began towing me to her room. Oh fuck yes. I tended to get...overly sexually charged whenever I drank. Unfortunately for me though Bella had forgotten about the tiny little anomaly that is Alice.

"Oh no you don't Bella." I heard Alice say from behind us. Bella halted her movements and turned to face the cock-blocking pixie. "Nuh uh. No sex right now. We're getting ready for the party." Alice came to me and smacked my hand away from Bella's. I took it away with an amused look on my face. She was psychic; she had to be.

"See you in a bit?" I asked, chuckling and shaking my head. Bella leant over to kiss me and her and Alice disappeared around the corner into their room.

**B.P.O.V**

I had bought an outfit that I actually picked out _myself. _And Alice actually approved. Today I was fucking shocking myself. I was honestly astounded. I had bought a sapphire blue tank top with an empire waist that flowed down to my hips. To go over top Alice had found me the perfect long sleeved half shirt to go over top; light gold in colour. I had also bought a new pair of low rise jeans. I loved the outfit and it was comfortable; and Alice loved it too. Which shocked me? I usually picked out horrid outfits at the mall. After I was dressed Alice went to work on my hair. She curled most of it and used a few bobby pins to secure my hair so it was in a half-up and half-down type of style. My bangs hung lightly in front of my face and I liked the way my hair looked. I made a mental note to tell Alice to do my hair like this more often. She immediately began applying my make-up. She brushed a light gold coloured eye shadow over my eyes and made them appear smoky and gorgeous. At least I thought they looked good. When she was done she got herself ready. Today she had bought an extremely tight fitting cream coloured, corseted top. It looked amazing on her. It was corseted around her ribs, and around her boobs and arms the shirt puffed up airily. She looked like a model in it. She had also bought new jeans as well and a new pair of heels.

Well within the span of forty-five minutes we were both ready and on our way out the door. I was all of a sudden really excited to go to this party. I had been so tense since last Monday that I hadn't had any real fun; I needed to be with people and let loose and apparently, get shitfaced. I eagerly knocked on Edward and Jasper's door and Edward answered looking impossibly gorgeous. His dishevelled bronze hair was as perfectly unkempt as always while he wore a perfectly fitting navy blue shirt that complimented his skin tone immaculately. I feared drool so I closed my gaping mouth. I noticed when I started to focus on his face that he had been checking me out and stopped when he looked to my face. I blushed...because my boyfriend had been checking me out? I couldn't help it. Alice scoffed next to me because we had both been staring shamelessly at each other.

"Are you two done drooling over each other?" Alice asked, stepping past Edward and into the room. I laughed a little and bit my lip.

"Bella you look fantastic," Edward told me. He stepped out of the doorway slipping his leather jacket on in the process. I had a light winter jacket on over top of the outfit I had on.

"I could say the same to you," I told him, taking his hand in mine. He grinned my perfectly crooked smile and I sighed. He was perfect. He kissed the back of my hand and put it to his face. My hand scratched against his stubble and it tickled. I giggled and pulled my hand away. "It tickles," I told him. He smiled at me again and started lowering his face to mine. He turned my cheek and rubbed his face all along mine; causing me to squirm in laughter. My dad used to do that to me sometimes too. He chuckled and pulled away, placing a light kiss on my lips. He still kind of tasted like beer. We kissed for a minute before Jasper and Alice came out of the door ready to go.

We all made our way outside into the cold night and began the twenty minute walk to Sigma Phi. We all wanted to drink so walking seemed like the best thing to do; it's not like it was that far. Alice was buzzing excitedly the entire way there, and began reminiscing about the first time her and I ever drank tequila. In junior year we had gone to the Dominican Republic for a vacation with other people from Forks High and it was there that we had first experienced the liquid gold. We had found this awesome bar along the beach that was always nearly deserted with the exception of our group of friends, and the bartender was the best. Although I had drank a lot in Dominican I never really liked to go to house parties; they were so cliché and crowded. But tonight was an exception because I just needed to have fun. When we finally arrived I could hear the loud booming music from outside the door. It sounded like pop, hip-hop shit. _Great. _Shitty music. I rolled my eyes. I sincerely hoped that something better would come on or hoped I'd be able to tune out the horrific noise. Edward grimaced at me before we entered the house. Alice and Jazz took off in front of us to mingle with others. I gripped Edward's hand tighter so I didn't lose him. It was _packed. _There were people everywhere and they were dancing and laughing and talking and drinking. Some were already drunk.

Edward started to push through the crowd to get to Emmett who was waving him over from the other side of the room. He towed me along behind him as he manoeuvred his way through. He stopped in the middle of the sea of people to talk to someone that I couldn't see. I looked around me and suddenly felt very ill at ease. I looked up to see drunken frat guys on either side of me. I cringed into Edward's side. One of the guys looked down to me and started talking to me.

"Hey there, how's it going?" The frat guy asked. He was tall and thin. Not really lanky, but not really bulky. Kind of like Edward. He had light brown hair, from what I could tell with the amount of light that was in the room, that was forehead length and wavy. He had a plastic red cup in his hand that I assumed was filled with beer. He smiled at me and waited for a response. He wasn't doing anything wrong necessarily but I felt a pang of fear flood through me. I swallowed hard as if to push the fear down.

"Good thanks," I told him over the music. He said something else to me but I couldn't make it out. "What?" I asked him, furrowing my brows. He leaned his head down to mine and repeated himself.

"You here with anyone?" The guy asked me hopefully. I blushed furiously. He was hitting on me. I was glad that the room wasn't that well lit. I gripped Edward's hand and nodded at the frat guy.

"My boyfriend," I replied, pulling my face away from his. He frowned a tiny bit.

"That's a shame," he said, winking at me. I felt Edward pull on my hand and when I turned to face him his expression was slightly alarmed. He pulled me backwards into his side and the frat guy backed off. Edward wasn't smiling, he seemed defensive. I rubbed circles on the back of his hand as he kept towing me towards Emmett.

"I told you that you looked fantastic," Edward whispered in my ear as we finally busted through the crowd. I blushed again. "I turn my back for one second and another guy starts hitting on you," he continued, shaking his head. I laughed a bit and he did too. He knew that I would never cheat on him though; did he think I was fucking nuts?

"Edward! Bella!" Emmett greeted us as we got closer. I smiled at Em and took the cup that he was holding out. I smelt the contents and it was beer. I scrunched my nose up and held it away from me.

"I'm on it," Edward said, taking the cup from my hand and chugging it. He finished it in about seven seconds and I was shocked. I stared up at him with amusement. He smiled down at me and passed the cup back to Emmett who was refilling it for him. Emmett gestured for Edward to go closer and he released my hand to talk to him. I saw Edward nod a few times and they exchanged a few whispers. I just stood looking around the room for Alice and Jasper. A few seconds into my search I spotted Rose dressed in a curve hugging, knee length, strapless red dress. Her hair was in soft curls flowing down her back; she looked stunning. I made my way carefully over to her and found that Alice and Jasper were sitting on a couch nearby where Rose was. Alice had a bottle of tequila pressed against her chest and she was smiling. I grinned at her when I got there. She held the bottle out to me as if it was on display and she quickly unscrewed the cap. Rose passed Alice some empty plastic red cups that were on a table behind her and Alice began to pour shots into four separate cups. She handed one to Jasper, Rose and I and took one for herself.

"Cheers," she said, holding up her cup. I tapped my cup against hers and brought it to my lips. I inhaled the scent of the liquid and my nostrils flared at the strongly unpleasant smell of tequila. I closed my eyes and sucked the shot back. I felt the burn of the tequila stinging all down my throat and into my stomach, making me feel instantly warm. Alice had her nose scrunched up in a funny way at the burning sensation in her throat and Rose was licking her lips of tequila that may have dripped from her mouth. Jasper was sitting contentedly handing his cup back to Alice. I did the same. She was buzzing like a little faerie when she poured us all another round of shots. I smiled as I felt Edward's arms snake around my waist. His red plastic cup hovered around my hips as he swayed back and forth with the music which was now soft rock. Who the fuck has hip-hop _and_ soft rock on their iPod? I didn't really care, I just moved back and forth with him as Alice passed me the cup; Edward stopped moving. I had forgotten about his little tequila aversion, whatever it was.

"Sorry," I said, turning around to face him. He was biting on his lower lip and had a puzzled look on his face. Maybe...did he want some tequila after all? I held up my cup and offered him my shot.

* * *

**A/N: **So let me know what you think!


	17. Igniting the Fire

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay. Exam time is always so much fun....Enjoy! :)

* * *

**B.P.O.V**

He stopped his biting and contemplated my offer. He licked his lips and looked as if he were going to take the cup from my hands and inhale the liquid. I pushed it towards him and he backed away. I was confused.

"No, I'll just stick with beer," he said to me, smiling a tiny smile. I raised an eyebrow at him and did the shot that was in my cup. Again the liquid burned all down my throat, igniting the warmth that was radiating from within me. I knew that only a few more shots would get me fairly buzzed; I was small. It didn't take much. And Alice was the same as me, if not worse. Need I remind myself of the incident in Dominican that made me borderline lesbian...with my best friend? I giggled as I recalled our obscenely drunken night and Edward gave me a funny look.

"What's so funny?" He said amusedly, hooking onto my waist. I threw my arm around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh nothing. Just thinking about something that happened when Alice and I went on vacation a few years ago." He cocked an eyebrow at me in interest and I turned my head to look at Alice who had just sucked back her third shot. "Alice you're going to be so drunk!" I yelled to her over the music. Her head snapped up in my direction and she smiled widely at me and winked. I laughed boisterously and Edward couldn't help but laugh too even though he had no idea what we were laughing about.

"Tell me this story," Edward said to me. I bit the inside of my cheek. I supposed there was no harm in telling him. I couldn't lie to him anyways; I told him everything. I then began biting my lip. It wasn't really embarrassing...I mean it was just Alice. If anything Edward would probably get hard from just hearing the story. While I contemplated telling him he downed the rest of his beer. "Hold on. Be right back." He released me from his grip and moved back to where Emmett was. He refilled his cup and came back to me. I didn't really know how many this was for Edward in total. We had been separated for about ten minutes...and I didn't really know how many he had decided to chug in that small amount of time; I hoped it wasn't many. He scooped me back up and pulled me towards the couch opposite Alice and Jasper. Rose had gone to find Emmett. Alice held her hand out for my cup and I passed it back, allowing her to refill it for me.

"Okay so what's the story from your vacation that you two are reminiscing about?" Edward asked me. He draped his arm over my shoulder and took a swig from the cup. I grinned at Alice and she gave Jasper a sideways glance. Jasper was just as interested as Edward.

"So Bella and I were in Dominican," Alice began, resting into Jasper's side.

"And we were at this bar on the resort with a bunch of people," I continued, laughing. "We had been drinking all day and when we got to the bar we were pretty drunk."

"And you know how guys can be..." Alice said, lifting her eyes to meet Jasper's. I glanced sideways at Edward and he looked eagerly at me to continue. "It was a dare," Alice said. I looked up to Edward's face straight on now and he had wide eyes; I bet he knew what we were going to say. I sucked the shot back and slammed the cup down on the table.

"These guys dared Alice and me to kiss," I told Edward. His mouth hung open a little and it soon closed into a wide grin. "And when I kissed her on the lips they all hooted and hollered..." I broke off and looked to Alice. She could tell the rest.

"Well...guys being the horny species that they are kept egging us on," Alice said, looking up to Jasper. He had such a tight hold on Alice's tiny leg that I thought he was going to snap her leg into pieces. "And...before we knew it," Alice trailed off, stopping right before the part they'd love.

"Alice!" Jasper whined. It was adorable.

"We made out – a lot," Alice said with finality. That hadn't been the only time I'd ever kissed Alice...but it had for damn sure been the only time I had ever made out with her.

"What?" Edward asked in a semi high-pitched voice. I laughed. I had never heard Edward go anywhere close to being high-pitched. He stared down at me with bewilderment etched across his perfect features. "You...and...Alice?" He asked, pointing to her. We both nodded.

"Really?" Jasper said. He was totally convinced of what he heard but I assumed he needed to make sure he was actually hearing correctly. Alice giggled and kissed him right on the mouth. He pushed back at her with force, slid her tiny body down onto the couch and threw himself on top of her. _Oh god_. I hastily looked away and up to Edward. He was staring at me so intensely that I almost wanted to look away. He took a sip of his beer and I took the opportunity to pour myself another shot. I looked back to him and let the alcohol slip easily down my throat, leaving a burning trail in its wake. I set the cup down on the table and shifted back to Edward.

"What's up?" I asked, rubbing my finger up and down his forearm. He bit his lip hard and stared me in the eyes. He leaned down to me and put his lips against my ear.

"I'm trying really hard Bella...and I mean _really hard_, not to take you right here...right now." My mouth hung open at his words and my cheeks burned with the blood that was rushing to them. I bit my lip in response because, whether it was the alcohol or not, I desperately wanted him to. But we were at a party; we could wait until later.

"I'm glad you're restraining yourself. Unlike some people," I said to him in a hushed tone, jabbing my thumb at the Alice and Jasper grope fest. He laughed at me and finished off his beer. He crushed the cup in his strong fist and threw it at Jasper; it hit him right on the head.

"Jazz...man, honestly. Go upstairs," Edward told him. I assumed that Jasper was going to hastily get off Alice and mumble to himself nervously...like he always did. But he didn't; and I was shocked. He sat up off Alice and pushed his hair back out of his face. He took Alice's hand and shot Edward a look before he got up off the couch and left with her. I watched them make their way through the crowd and to my fucking utter astonishment I saw them ascend the stairs. Alice had left the bottle of tequila and I poured yet another shot. I quickly drank it in, savouring the burning of my throat and the warmth protruding from my stomach and chest.

"So how many is that now?" Edward asked, wrapping his arm around my waist. He pulled me closer, almost onto his lap. I pulled out my right hand and began counting.

"One, two, three...four – five," I said to him, holding up all of my extremities on my right hand. He chuckled and entwined his fingers with mine.

"You're going to be drunk, baby," he said, leaning in to kiss me. I pulled back a little and raised a brow at him. Since when did he ever call me baby? I laughed at him.

"Baby...? How many have _you_ had?" I asked, tilting my head. He released his rather firm hold on me and held up both his hands.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...eight," he said, holding up eight fingers. He had had eight beers since we got here? We'd been here...maybe forty five minutes at most.

"Since we got here?" I asked in an outdoor voice. I covered my mouth; I hadn't realized how loud I was being. He shook his head at me.

"I had three before we came," he reminded. Oh...right. I had forgotten about that.

"Edward Cullen," I said, shaking my head for a few seconds longer than necessary. "I think you are the one who is going to be drunk!" I almost yelled to him; I was still being a little unnecessarily loud, but I couldn't help it. He smiled at me and wrapped his arms around me again. He leant his head down to mine and I felt his beer tasting tongue enter my mouth.

**E.P.O.V**

Bella's fucking Dominican story...Oh fuck my life. I wanted to pounce on her when the fact that she had made out with Alice had been made clear. I had restrained myself though. I didn't want to have the entirety of Sigma Phi watching Bella and I engulfed in passion. And Jazz was definitely going to get some tonight; whether he was ready or not, which he seemed to be. I had to admit to myself that I was already starting to feel a mild buzz; I had called Bella baby? When the fuck had I ever called her that before? She had called me on it though and I told her how many I had drank so far. She had been shocked. I would tell her the truth about my unnatural drinking though...just not yet. When she told me I was the one that was most likely going to get drunk I just smiled at her. She was already getting a little tipsy; I could tell. I bent my head down to hers and kissed her on the lips. Her lips parted and my tongue entered her warm...fucking tequila tasting mouth. _Fuck. _I savoured the remaining taste of tequila that Bella had in her mouth and gripped the back of her head forcefully. I pressed my tongue against hers urgently, trying to remember the sensation that the burning had left when the liquid first went down. She, with much more force than normal, tangled her fingers into my hair. I groaned a little in pain because it had really fucking hurt. What? Did she turn into the Hulk when she drank?

I brought my hands to hers and pulled them away; probably with much more force than intended. This kiss that we were sharing was not one of love; at least not for me. This kiss was selfish. I was horrible. With every press of my tongue against hers I was only desperately trying to taste the left over remnants of tequila without actually drinking it. I was being selfish and stupid and moronic. I was using my girlfriend to try to drink the tequila from her mouth, and I was letting her think that I was being turned on by all of this...which I wasn't. I wasn't even focussing on what Bella was even doing. Her hands were running along my arms, across my shoulders, into my hair. She would repeat this course a few times and I would just keep trying to get all I could. As I was beginning to really fucking hate myself for what I was doing, Bella moved a hand to my leg. I jumped at the closeness of her hand. She began rubbing it all along my thigh, inching closer and closer with every stroke.

I was almost instantaneously turned on and I pivoted my head to deepen the kiss; the point at which the kiss no longer became selfish. She rubbed her hand along my thigh, quickening her pace as her tongue now became frantic. If she had been consumed with passion this entire time...oh god. She was aroused to say the very least; and with Bella I could tell. All the signs were there. She was gripping my head for dear life, moving her hands in frantic movements, humming soft, erotic noises, and best of all, pressing her perfect, tiny body against mine. I really..._really _wanted to ravage her right here and now, but I knew that I couldn't. Her hand moved up, closer and closer; until she grazed her hand along the side of my horribly concealed erection. She stopped kissing me and smiled a sexy smile up at me. She brushed her hand around it a few more times before I brought my hand to stop her.

"Not here," I said, halting her movements. She frowned. "Later," I told her, kissing her nose. It had taken all my fucking will power to do that; but now I was safe from ripping her clothes to shreds. Well I would be. I needed to think un-sexy thoughts. Okay. I looked around. _Table...okay the table is good. It's a short round coffee table with four wooden legs. Possibly made of oak. And it has a stable wood surface...perhaps stable enough to fuck Bella on. _Wow. That worked out fantastically. I shook my head.

"You okay?" Bella asked lazily. I looked down to her and she was smiling a goofy smile at me. She was tipsy alright. She looked to the coffee table; apparently disregarding her own question. She picked the bottle of tequila up off the table and spun the cap off, onto the floor. And apparently she didn't care where the cap went because she made no move to find it. She picked a cup up off the table and poured way more than one shot into the bottom of it. She set the bottle back down and put the cup to her lips. She inhaled deeply and looked up to meet my transfixed eyes.

"Are you sure that you don't want any? I mean I know your aversion and all." She asked, holding the cup half out at me. Well the tequila taste in her mouth had been divine, and it hadn't bothered me anywhere near what I thought it would. Was there any harm to me doing one simple shot of tequila? I looked around to see if Emmett or Rose were anywhere in sight. Emmett would fucking rip me to pieces if he saw me doing a shot of tequila.

"Well the taste in your mouth was exquisite," I told her, leaning down to her ear. I felt her shiver beneath me and the cup vibrated against my chest. I tended to use excessively out of character words when drinking. I took the cup from her hand and inhaled the scent, much like she had done. "Will you do one with me?" I asked her. Her eyes lit up and she poured herself a shot; again, pouring much more than one shot into the bottom of the cup. She brought the cup to mine and 'cheers'd' it. She sucked the shot back first, with great ease might I add; she was fucking pounding through the shots of tequila, and she still wasn't drunk.

I feared this moment. I had feared it ever since I had stopped drinking. But I hadn't been lying to myself or to Bella. The taste had been fantastic, and it wasn't a big deal. I could handle it. I brought the cup to my lips and in one swift tilt of the cup the gentle flow of tequila ran down my throat and entered my stomach, igniting a fire within that had been dead for much too long. I fixed my gaze on Bella and she had her little brows knit together in anticipation for my reaction.

"Another?" I asked. The burning in my throat was fucking amazing. It revitalized my senses and enhanced my movements to a great degree. I poured another one for Bella, and I resolved that this would be her last one. The last shot had had enough in it to constitute for two shots; so she was up to seven. More than enough for a girl her size. I passed her the cup and she held it with both her hands firmly grasping the sides. She watched me intently as I poured myself another one. I was fucking pushing it right now. I poured myself what would probably be considered three shots into the bottom of my cup and I noticed that the tequila bottle was dangerously low; something that was probably a good thing, but that I wasn't necessarily thankful for. Bella and I did these next shots a minute later and after the second round of burning my throat, the fire was fully lit. I felt as alive as I had always felt when I drank. I decided with finality that that would be the last 'shot' I'd have, and I tossed my cup to the ground. Bella squished her cup between her tiny little hands like I had done earlier and tossed it to the ground too. Her face was glowing and happy. She smiled at me with the most carefree expression I had ever seen her wear and it made every cell in my body react to realize that she was, for the first time since the attack, at peace – the old Bella.

"Edward," she said, swaying her head back and forth to the obscene tune that was playing. It took me a minute to focus on her face because I was rapidly becoming drunk, but when I did her chocolate brown eyes were fixed on my face. "I love you." I smiled at her and tried my best to cup her cheek with my tainted hand-eye coordination. I held her face in my hand and she let her head rest as dead weight against it. I really hoped that she wouldn't pass out on me. I was drunk and didn't really feel like carrying the dead weight of my girlfriend back on the twenty minute walk to Berry.

"Well I love you Bella," I told her, nudging her face so she didn't pass out on me. She rocked her head forward and her eyelids fluttered. She focussed again on my face and perked her head up. She scanned the crowd...who was she looking for?

"Where's Alice gone...where'd she go off to?" Had she completely forgotten the Jasper-almost-fucked-Alice-on-the-couch incident? I laughed at her.

"Upstairs with Jasper," I replied. I let my hand drop to her knee and traced circles there. I became completely engrossed in this task. Taking my index finger and swirling it around Bella's bony knee; I did this repeatedly. I thought Bella had completely forgot about what I had said when she replied after about five minutes of complete conversational silence.

"I bet Jasper's having a good time," she laughed to herself. She hiccupped a second later and I looked up to find her covering her mouth. I smiled contentedly at her; she was so...just so...cute. Her expression quickly shifted to utter happiness. "Rose!" Bella yelled, making to stand up. I knew she wasn't in any condition to stand so I got up with her and caught her just before she fell. I knew she wouldn't be able to walk.

"Bella!" Rose yelled. I could hear the concern leaking into her voice and knew that she wasn't drunk. I cursed myself a little bit and hoped that she didn't somehow notice that I had drank tequila.

"I got her Rose. She's fine." Bella and I both stood swaying for a minute before I steadied the both of us. Rose appeared over Bella's shoulder and she eyed me wearily.

"How much has she had to drink Edward?"

"Uh, maybe eight shots?" I told her like it was a question. I knew she wouldn't be happy with this. Naturally I was right. Rose fumed.

"Edward! She's like five foot nothing! You can't let her drink that much. She's fucking hammered!" I tried to reason with Rose's accusations that I wasn't the one that let her drink so much but I couldn't bring myself to care. I was fucking drunk too.

"Okay Rose. Rose. Listen, Rose. I didn't let her drink that much. She's a big girl. She can make her own decisions." I realized after I had said this that I was slurring a little. Rose flashed her death stare at me. She raised her eyebrow at me and put a hand on her hip.

"Edward fucking Cullen. You didn't. Please just tell me you didn't." I knew instantly what she was talking about. She knew that I couldn't have possibly drank this much beer in the amount of time I had been here to make me this drunk. I gripped Bella tighter and brought her to my chest. I placed my chin on top of her head and her breathing was growing heavy against me. I was a big fucking disappointment – to the world. And now Rose was going to tell Emmett.

"Please don't tell Emmett. Rose I promise...I won't do it again. Please." She closed her eyes and brought her hands down to her sides. She clenched her hands into fists and probably wanted to punch me in the face. I was asking her to lie to her boyfriend and my brother. I deserved it.

"I am only doing this for Emmett. You know how much it would kill him if he found out Edward," Rose said to me through clenched teeth. I nodded vehemently at her to let her know that I knew she wasn't doing this for my well being. "Take Bella home. Now." She ordered, and I was going to fucking listen.

"Okay...oh wait. But no wait. I need to find Jazz," I replied to her, stumbling around with Bella still pressed against my chest. I felt like she was asleep.

"You don't need to worry about Jasper. Just take Bella home Edward," Rose ordered again. She didn't understand. I needed to find Jasper; I had to tell him we were leaving so he didn't try to look for us later.

"But I need to tell him were leaving," I said to her. She straightened up and flashed her angry green eyes at me. I was desperately trying her patience.

"Okay Edward. Than you go upstairs and go into Emmett's room where Jasper and Alice are fucking and tell him that you're leaving. I'm sure he'll give a fuck," she spat at me. She was pissed. And I couldn't handle this right now. I placed Bella's arms around my waist and she hooked them together, telling me that she was still conscious; if only slightly. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders as best I could and headed for the door.

**B.P.O.V**

My feet carried me along as I stumbled blindly. I was hooked onto someone's waist. Edward's? I wasn't really sure. My eyes were closed and I was being led somewhere by whoever it was that I was hanging on to. I was almost positive that it was him...but I couldn't feel our electricity. I instantly felt a jolt of panic wash through me. I felt sick. I hurled myself to the ground and away from the person who was holding onto me. I was most definitely lying on grass and it was wet and cold. I curled my legs to my chest and hugged them to me.

"Bella," I heard Edward's voice say to me. I perked my head up at his voice and strained my eyes open. Everything was blurry and it was dark; I couldn't see a bloody thing.

"Edward," I said, reaching out with my hand. I felt a hand take mine...but it wasn't Edward's. There was no electricity. "No," I said, pulling back my hand. "I want Edward."

"Bella it's me," Edward's voice told me. A pair of alien hands took my face in between them and forced my eyes to open. My eyes fluttered for a bit before I could focus them on anything in particular. I saw...Edward. It didn't feel like him though – it felt wrong and awkward and not right. I started to cry. I shook my head in between the alien Edward's hands and he tried to calm me. He picked me up and began carrying me away somewhere. Probably back to his spaceship so he could take me back to his home planet. This wasn't _my _Edward. I didn't like this one bit.

---

I saw the bright, white light glowing from above my lids. I was still being carried. I heard the laboured sounds of 'Edward' carrying me what I assumed was possibly up the stairs. I tried to bring a hand to my face but my sense of directions and perceptions were heavily skewed. I ended up smacking myself with a great amount of force in the mouth. My lip instantly throbbed in pain and as new tears rolled down my face I realized that there were old ones there for the new ones to replace.

"Are you okay?" Edward's voice huffed at me. His words sounded mildly slurred and he sounded out of breath.

"I can...walk," I told him, squirming around his chest. When he got to the next landing he placed me down flat on my feet. I swayed and stumbled to my left when Edward's hands caught me. I reached a hand out to steady myself against anything that was in reach; I found the cold comfort of the wall. I gripped it while Edward held me tightly. When I was sure that I wasn't going to fall flat on my face I slowly allowed for my heavy lids to peel themselves open. I turned my head around and squinted in the direction of Edward's face. His always gorgeous hair was wildly dancing across his head while his eyes looked just as heavy as mine felt. My eyes ventured to his thin, parted lips and paused there for a moment too long before I took in his face in its entirety. He had a light sheen of sweat covering the surface of his marble-smooth skin. Where the sweat met the unshaven part of his face tiny beads were beginning to form. He looked sexy. I wanted to lick it off.

I all of a sudden became very aware that Edward was pressed right against me and that his hand was on my ass. I then looked away and took in our surroundings. We were in the brightly lit, narrow stairwell that led up to our floor. I had no idea how far up we were or how many more flights we had to go. Edward decidedly moved his hand from my ass to around my hips and brought me to the door that was right beside us. So we were on the second floor. My feet tangled into each other when Edward pulled me through the door onto our floor and I was sent to the carpeted ground.

"Good god Bella," Edward scolded me. He bent down and pried me off the ground and nearly dragged me down the hall. I kept my head down and stared at the recurring pattern on the carpet as he towed me down the hallway. Not even a minute later he was pulling me inside a room. It was dark. My eyes strained to see anything that was within my sight. I knew that I was either in my room or in Edward's. Still in the dark Edward placed me on a bed and left me to sit there. After a minute of silence I heard fumbling from somewhere in the room. What in the hell was he doing? I was really drunk and my patience was wearing thin. I heard a loud pound of something hitting something else and I became frightened.

"Edward?" I said into the dark. I heard a grunt come from somewhere. My eyes weren't even trying to adjust to the darkness that consumed the room. Why wasn't he responding to me? Through the darkness that I was desperately trying to see through I saw the outline of Edward coming to the bed. A second later the mattress next to me sunk down with his weight.

"Come on...let's go to bed," Edward said to me, putting his hand to my shoulder. Why in the _fuck _was there no electricity!? This fact was making me extremely upset and the fact that I was drunk wasn't helping me control my emotions. I sobbed a little bit. Edward sighed heavily next to me and got up. A faint light brightened the room and I finally realized that we were in my room. I looked to Edward who was in nothing but his boxers. _Oh lord, help me. _I instantly stopped my little sob fest and almost whimpered at the sight of my godly boyfriend.

**E.P.O.V**

What in the hell did she keep crying about? It was starting to concern me. Before she had told me that I wasn't Edward? She was clearly in no state of mind to justify herself though so I just turned on the light so she could see that it was _me. _My knee still throbbed a little in pain at where I had smacked it against the closet door before trying to get my pants off. God damn that had hurt. When I turned the light on Bella stared at me with a gaping mouth. Her heavy eyes were alight with wonder as she took in my appearance.

"Bella it's me. Don't be upset," I told her, sitting back down on the bed. She instantly brought her hand to my chest and ran her fingers all along every contour of my bare skin. The electricity of her touch was practically non-existent in my drunkenness, and this was something that I was unnaturally unhappy about. She continued her movements and I brought an uncoordinated hand to her face to brush her hair away. Next she did something that utterly shocked me. I assumed since she was drunk that she would be completely delirious and just wanting to go to bed. Hence why I stripped down and told her that it was time for bed. I wasn't going to sleep in my jeans; and I wasn't going to sleep without her. I had enjoyed that way too much not to do it ever again. But it's not like I didn't plan on spending the rest of my life with her anyways...that is if she would still want me.

She shocked me by pushing me down onto the bed and kissing all down my chest. Sometimes when I was drunk I did tend to get extra horny, and sometimes when I was drunk I didn't get horny at all. Well this wasn't one of those not horny cases; it was very much the opposite. By a simple kiss to the chest from Bella I was turned on like a fucking light switch. I gripped her shoulders with force and began to pull her little half shirt thing off of her. By the way...that thing didn't even constitute as a fucking shirt; it was the thinnest piece of material besides a thong that you could wear. I pulled it off her shoulders and slid it down her arms. She ceased her kissing and threw it to the floor. She then took it upon herself to take her shirt off. My eyes, heavy with lust and intoxication met her chest. She had a blue bra on, one that was almost the same colour as her shirt. I dug my fingers into her soft, fleshy sides and pulled her close to me. I kissed her and slid my tongue into her mouth. We were so uncoordinated that it wasn't even funny. But we were both too drunk and horny to care much. Our hormone induced, sloppy kiss was all over the place. And before I knew what was happening Bella had her hand inside my boxers. My entire body jumped at her touch as she began fervently pumping me in between her tiny hand.

Of course being drunk amplified the feeling and I gasped for breath and broke our kiss. I brought my fingers urgently to her pants and I started to undo her belt. When her pants were undone I did a fucking stupid assed thing. I stopped her hand from pleasuring me. Was I a fucking idiot? I sat up and got onto the floor. I grabbed the rough material of Bella's jeans in my hands and yanked it down with force until the jeans were completely off. I looked up to her when they were on the floor with the millions of man-eating squids and she was fucking matching. Her panties and her bra were the exact same colour and oh fuck. She was too sexy for me to handle. I kissed her right knee and made my way all along her thigh to her hip. She brought her fingers into my hair and was stroking it lazily, while I ventured my way up. I was just making myself more turned on the more I kept kissing her. I pulled my face away and she looked down to me with her sexy, intoxicated gaze. I couldn't handle this anymore. I stood up and pulled my boxers off and her jaw dropped. She always did that when she saw me naked; it made me smile – to know that she liked what she saw.

"Bella I want to have sex with you right now," I told her confidently, making my way to lie down on top of her. She put her hand up to stop me.

"Not yet," she said, sitting up on her elbows. What? Why the fuck not? She was surely just as horny as I was. "I want to do something else first." I sat down on the bed and looked to her face; her gaze was transfixed on my dick. Surprise, astonishment, disbelief and a great amount of hormones flooded through me the moment that Bella slid off the bed and onto the floor. She put her hands each on the back of my calves and pulled my legs forward. I complied, moving my ass to the edge of the bed. She was really going to fucking do this. She had never done this before. Did she even know how? I couldn't bring myself to care much...anything she did would be satisfactory I'm sure. She moved her hands to my knees when she was done pulling me and spread my legs open more.

"Bella...are you – sure?" I asked, sinking down onto my elbows. She perked her head up and her gaze met mine.

"Shut the fuck up and let me do this," she told me in a slur. I laughed at her because she was fucking drunk as hell...

---

I woke up the next morning in what felt like a pool of my own sweat. I felt like shit. My mouth was pasty and dry, while my face was soaked. I felt the light from the window hit my face and I dared not to open my eyes; I knew they would burn. I remembered most of what happened last night; the good, the bad, and the ugly. No...not the ugly...the fucking hideous and horrifying. I had to be the biggest moron alive. I didn't like myself one bit; I loathed myself right now. I lied to Bella and Emmett...and brought Rose down with me. I vaguely remembered the anger in her eyes as she ordered me to take Bella home. So I knew that I was in Bella's room, in her bed; that much I remembered too. I opened my eyes to form tiny slits and felt the empty mattress beside me. I nearly growled. What in the fuck did I tell her about wanting to wake up next to her? I opened my eyes fully now and squinted against the bright sunlight that was brilliantly filtering in through the window. The rays danced off the top of the small mini fridge and created a deadly glare that hurt my eyes; my head throbbed from just looking at it.

I sat up and let the blankets fall down my bare chest to rest at my hips. I realized then that I was completely naked. I could remember most of last night...I remembered carrying Bella up the stairs and nearly dragging her ass to the room. I remembered hitting my knee...and Bella saying _shut the fuck up..._then I draw a complete blank. Like a brick fucking wall had been erected in my mind. Did we have sex? It seemed pretty likely.

But then I got the sickest feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I doubted Bella or I had the capacity to stumble our way to my room and magically open the locked door to grab protection. Oh god. I wanted to vomit. I knew that Bella wasn't on any sort of birth control either, considering her sexual activity before me was non-existent. Oh god. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and looked to the floor for my clothes. The floor was an absolute mess. I saw my clothes...and Jazz's clothes? And..._Oh shit_. I gulped. Alice's clothes. Bella's were gone. I looked over to Alice's bed for the first time and found Jasper's bare white ass staring back at me. Holy fuck.

I felt even sicker. Why didn't they go back to our fucking room when they saw Bella and me in here? Well they probably didn't give a shit since they were both drinking. Alice was probably drunk; she's so tiny. I just really fucking hope they didn't have sex while Bella and I were asleep. I shivered at this thought and I tried to make as little noise as possible while I grabbed my boxers from the floor and slid them on. My head still throbbed like a bitch. Maybe Bella had Advil. I stood from the bed when I was decent and tried to keep the bile from rising in my throat. I needed to talk to Bella and see what she remembered from last night. And I also wanted to kick myself in the ass for drinking tequila. It hadn't been so bad though. I didn't feel the insatiable need to keep drinking it, like I used to. But I had to admit to myself that it had tasted fucking amazing; and a tiny part of me wanted to drink it again. I knew this thought was fucked up though. A: Rose would castrate me and tell Emmett. B: Emmett would kick the shit out of me. C: Bella would get upset while I was taking the beating and start asking questions. Then D: she'd find out I lied to her from someone else and proceed to kick my ass and then leave me. So no. Drinking that shit again is a major fucking negative.

I pulled open Bella's small cabinet in search of her Advil. I rummaged for a minute between creams and make-ups and vitamins before I found the bottle I was looking for; it was extra strength. _Thank god. _I opened the bottle and let two capsules fall into the palm of my hand. I put the container back in its place and took a bottle of water from the fridge. I popped the pills and guzzled down half the bottle of water in seconds. The re-hydration of my mouth made me feel like I had never tasted water before in my life. It was a beautiful feeling. I returned to the floor and proceeded to pull my jeans on when I remembered that it was Friday. I had class today. I looked over to the clock and it was nearly eleven; my class was in an hour. I groaned and pulled my shirt over my head, when Bella walked in the door. She had a white tank top on and jeans. Her wet hair was dripping down onto the front of her shirt almost making it see through. My eyes met her face a minute later and she looked just as bad as I felt; maybe worse. Her face was pale and her eyes looked tired. The usual brightness in her deep brown eyes was gone. She was hung over that's for sure. She hung her towel back up in her closet trying to make the least amount of noise she could. I went back over to her cabinet and grabbed the bottle of Advil and held it out to her. She smiled with relief etched across her tired face and took the bottle, while I grabbed her water from the fridge.

I pointed to the hall when she was done because we needed to talk about last night and she left the room with me on her heels. She spun around when the door was closed and hugged her sides. She looked upset and hurt and tired and...Humiliated? I went to her and rubbed my hand up and down her arm. She looked up to me with the saddest pair of brown eyes I had ever seen. Concern washed over me like a tidal wave and the metaphorical water was beginning to drown me.

"Hey," I said to her, lifting her chin to meet my face. "What is wrong? You look like someone just died." I immediately regretted saying that. I would feel horrible if that had actually been the case. She gave a tiny laugh that told me I was wrong and I was relieved.

"Edward," she said, in a tiny voice. I had to strain my ears to hear her. "Last night...I'm not so sure that it was the smartest thing." I gulped, loudly. _God...if there is a god out there...I know this is fucked up but please tell me I did not have sex with my girlfriend last night. _"It made me feel really uncomfortable and...well it was just stupid Edward."

I kept my eyes on hers; she blinked at me a few times, expecting me to say something. I didn't know what the hell there was to say? I didn't even remember anything we did last night. I strained to remember. I definitely remember being naked...that's for sure. I remember Bella had on...maybe a blue bra and underwear? Yes. She was matching; I remember being very excited about that. And then...What the fuck?! Why did I not remember anything past the point of her telling me to shut the fuck up? Wait...she told me to shut up because...? _Think Edward! THINK! _

"Are you okay Edward? Please say something about last night. Do you not feel the same way? Because I mean...it was kind of fucked up," she said to me, her brown eyes questioning me. I sighed.

"Bella I barely remember much about last night," I confessed. "I keep trying and trying...but I don't remember anything past the point of you telling me to shut the fuck up." She smiled a tiny bit probably remembering that point in the night. I had no such luck.

"Well I'm surprised you don't remember what happened after that...but I don't want to talk about that right now. We need to talk about what happened after. I mean it was just...risky...and weird...and just not right."

Fuck. Risky? Oh god, oh god, oh god. Fuck my life.

"Bella just please...tell me what happened. It's killing me because I definitely think I screwed up here." I stared at her, every aspect of the night running through my mind. My brain desperately trying to rack up some sort of recollection of what the fuck I was thinking last night. Again...No. Such. Luck.

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**Reviews are appreciated :)**


	18. Setting Dates

**A/N: **Sorry the chapter took longer than expected! Exam time's always fun.....

So here it is!

Hopefully my next chapter will be up in a few days : ) Enjoy!

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**B.P.O.V**

How did he _not _remember what he did last night? I had been so embarrassed and worried the entire time that I felt like throwing up. Well I didn't...but I felt like it. He stood before me now with a pale face and tired eyes. He looked too tense for words and he also looked like he would vomit at the next thing I said. I took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes.

"Edward you honestly don't remember?" I asked. I couldn't believe he didn't remember me giving him oral. You'd think a guy would remember that? But it was what he did afterwards that was horribly fucked up and risky and just...strange. Edward shook his head vigorously at me and whined.

"Bella I honestly don't! Can you please tell me?" He asked, his voice rising to a near cry.

"Okay...well last night I tried my hand...well mouth actually, at something." I stopped, blushing a deep maroon. He smiled down at me and raised a brow. I remembered how I just decided on a whim to try that. And he had enjoyed it...quite a lot actually. He told me that I had to have done that before because I was apparently, and I quote 'a master' at it. I had just laughed at him because that had been the first time I had ever given anyone a blow job.

"How the fuck do I not remember this?" he asked, sweeping my hair from my now cold shoulder to my back. The wetness had seeped into the shirt making it cold and wet. I shrugged at him...I don't know how his mind works. I fucking wish I did to know what the hell he had been thinking last night.

"I don't know. But after I was done we just lied there for a while and you kept talking and talking and talking," I said, making a mouth with my hand, telling him that he talked like a busy housewife when he was drunk. He laughed a tiny bit but still looked awfully tense. "And then after you said that it was my turn," I told him, biting my lip. I had very much liked that idea at the time...when we were still _alone. _

"Yeah that sounds like me," he said, giving me a wider smile now.

"Yeah...but then Alice and Jasper came back. You turned the light off and we both pretended to be sleeping. And when they were both finally off in la-la land I was just about to drift off...when..." I said, suggestively waving my hand. He looked at me with worry seeping into his eyes.

"We had sex with them in there didn't we?" He said, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. Ew...that would have been...I would never do that. I wasn't that drunk. But I suppose it was no different...

"No! Edward, god. I wouldn't have done that. With Alice and Jasper right there? But I mean we may as well have anyways..." I told him, rolling my eyes.

"Well then what the hell happened Bella?" He now looked at me with next to no tension. He had thought we had had sex? And that thought made him tense?

"Well you gave me _my turn _anyways," I told him, blushing again. His brows raised and his eyes popped open wide.

"Oh..." He said, making a funny face. "That is...wrong. I mean I did that with Alice and Jasper like...right there?" I nodded at him and knit my brows together. It was fucking awkward as hell for me to have Edward using his magical tongue to do all the pleasurable things I wanted him to do to me with my fucking best friend and her boyfriend...naked...in a bed that was five feet away from mine. I still remembered how much I wanted to get the fuck out of that room when Jasper kept trying to get Alice to have sex. She kept telling him no and then started giggling right after. It didn't take them long to fall asleep; and for that I was glad.

"Yes. It was really awkward and weird...and just really not right Edward. I mean I'm not saying that it wasn't good...because it was _unbelievable_...but just no." I said to him shaking my head. It was just so fucking weird! I couldn't believe I let him do that to me. But I just really wanted my turn I guess. And I was pretty drunk.

"But we wouldn't have been caught. I mean it was dark wasn't it? And we were both fully covered?" He asked, furrowing his brows together. Well he probably would have suffocated doing that to me with the blankets over his head while he was drunk.

"No? I mean you probably would have suffocated trying to do that with a duvet over your head and being as drunk as you were. And yeah the lights were off...but still." A look of understanding and embarrassment washed across his face. Finally he understood how I felt last night.

"Oh fuck. You mean that I..." He took his arms away from me and clutched at his hair. He started pacing the hall. It already happened? And we didn't get caught thankfully. It was just awkward, kind of...and I wanted to know what he had to say about it.

"Edward it's already done. And no, Alice and Jasper didn't wake up. But I wanted to see what the hell you were thinking last night. And now I see that you don't even remember it at all." He stopped his pacing and laughed nervously.

"I thought that when you said I was giving you your turn that you meant I'd just used the dynamic duo." He said this wiggling his index finger and middle finger at me. "But...Oh god. I can't believe I actually did that to you...and for the first time...with Alice and Jazz in the same fucking room." He shuddered and his whole body shook. He looked really disgusted with himself. I'm the one who fucking remembered every second of it!

"Just be glad that you don't remember any of it." He let out a deep breath and took me in his arms.

"Bella I'm so sorry I did that to you. I know it must have been...strange. To say the very least. I still can't believe that I don't remember any of it. I mean I didn't really drink _that _much." He tightened his hold on me when he said this. Maybe it had been the tequila that made him so unaware of his actions? He said he'd had a bad experience with it before. Maybe he just shouldn't drink it at all.

"Maybe it was the tequila," I told him, pulling away to look to his face. He nodded solemnly at me and kissed me on the forehead.

"I think it was."

**E.P.O.V**

_You stupid motherfucker. Tell her NOW. _

_No! Don't. She'll walk back into her room and slam the door in your face._

_Do it. She will never forgive you if you keep lying to her you stupid fuck._

_You can't. She doesn't need to know. Just let her keep thinking it's your 'aversion'. She'll never know the difference._

_She's not that fucking stupid._

_She trusts you too much to question you. She'll never know._

It was like there was a fucking internal battle for middle earth going on in my head...but with words, not glowing blue swords and white wizards. My right side...the 'good' side, was telling me to tell Bella the truth now. And he was completely right. I needed to fucking tell her. But then the fucking demonic left side of me...with a mind of its own was telling me she'd leave me. And the left side of me made a better point...unfortunately. I knew deep in my heart that she trusted me and deserved to know the truth. But the more I decided to tell her...the more I knew she'd hate me for it. Bella put her hand to my cheek and then to my forehead.

"You don't look very good Edward. You look like you're going to be sick. Maybe you should get some more rest. Here. Let's go back to your room and sleep," she said to me, kissing my chin. I wanted to go back with her...so bad. And just fucking sleep until tomorrow. But I needed to go to this class. It was Classics. And I had a test next Wednesday. I needed to do well on it.

"I can't," I told her, running my fingers through her wet, tangled hair. She frowned at me and pouted her bottom lip. I wanted to bite it off.

"Why not?"

"Bella I have class in like...half an hour." She puffed out her cheeks and stomped her foot on the floor like a six year old. It was very adorable. I chuckled at her. How the fuck do I sleep at night? One minute I'm hating myself for not telling her the truth and the next I'm fucking laughing at her, pretending like everything is fine and dandy. Hospital? Anyone? Just fucking bring on the straightjacket.

"Can't you just...not go? I mean you're sick. And you need to be taken care of." She brushed her fingers along my cheek and I closed my eyes. Our electricity was on high today. I was so glad that it was back. I hated last night when I couldn't feel it.

"Bella I have to. And please stop doing this," I told her, taking her hand away from my face. "You're dangerously tempting me not to go to class. And I need to."

"Ah then my plan is working," she said to me, trying to free her tiny hand from mine. Ah dear Bella...no such luck for you now. "It's healthy to ditch class every once in a while." I produced a growl from the back of my throat. She really wasn't helping me at all.

"Bella," I whined at her. She dropped her hand from mine and crossed her arms.

"Fine go to class. I guess it's important." She said this rolling her eyes; a tiny smile playing around the edges of her mouth.

"Thank you. And I'm only gone for an hour anyways."

"I know. I suppose I'll survive when you're gone," she told me, flashing me a brilliant smile. She still looked extremely tired, but she looked better than when I first saw her this morning. I no longer had a headache, which I was more than thankful for, but still felt like dying because I was so tired.

"Maybe can we just sleep once I get back? I'll bring you back lunch and we can eat and just...go to bed?" I asked, rubbing my thumb against the base of her neck. She closed her eyes and hummed softly in contentment.

"That sounds like a fabulous idea," she said to me, tilting her neck to expose her delicious throat. I couldn't help it, I dived at her hungrily. I peppered her smooth skin in kisses as she kept up her quiet humming. She soon tangled her fingers in my hair and her breathing began to quicken. I knew that if I didn't stop now I'd never make it to class; I needed to go. I pulled away...much to both of our reluctance, and kissed her once on the lips. She kissed back for a few moments, but stopped herself; knowing how much I needed to go to this class. Could she be any more perfect? She gives me exactly what I need and helps me deal with the difficulties in my life. No matter how big or small. I needed to tell her about my problem. She'd be able to handle it. I know she would. But I needed to...set a date or something. To prepare myself. Take her out maybe...try to tell her in a civilized manner. Explain everything to her. The lake? Sounded like a fucking plan to me.

"Hey do you want to try another date again? I mean next week or something." She looked up at me from her tip toe position and smiled.

"That sounds great," she told me, releasing my hair from her fingers. She kissed me one last time before she returned to normal height. "I'll be here when you're done, just come on in."

I bent down to kiss her again because I just...wanted to. And she entered the room soundlessly, giving me a cute smile before disappearing. I walked down the hall back to my room to retrieve my things for my class. All the while I couldn't stop thinking about the impending date. But I needed to stop being such a fucking chicken shit. I needed to stop with the faking and the lying and the deceit. Bella loves me...and I love Bella. And she deserves to see the real me – the good and the bad.

**B.P.O.V**

Jasper's ass was still hanging out when I walked back into the room. I wanted to laugh and be sick all at the same time. It's just...not right. Four best friends...well two couples and each of them close friends with the other...sleeping all completely naked in the same room. How fucking just wrong and awkward and orgy does that sound? That's right. Very. I went to Alice's closet and grabbed her towel. I tried not to laugh as I placed it quickly over Jasper to cover him up. Alice had definitely dirtied the nice, clean, Southern gentleman she had met three weeks ago.

"Alice," I whispered over Jasper when the towel was securely in place. She didn't stir. "Alice!" I again whispered, but in a more high-pitched voice. The pixie had to be under a fair amount of faerie dust to stay asleep like this. She was usually up with the birds at the crack of dawn, buzzing around the room. Now when I want her to wake up she's sleeping like a log. I carefully leaned over Jasper, making sure I didn't touch him, and lightly flicked Alice on the forehead. Her tiny brows knit together and her eyes fluttered open a minute later.

"Wake up," I whispered, smiling at her. She realized that Jasper was nearly on top of her and she blushed. I loved that lately she's been so out of character. Swearing and blushing and feeling embarrassed. Things she had never felt before. I was glad that she was experiencing these things with Jasper.

"Go outside!" Alice then screeched at me, in a very low voice. I covered my mouth to keep from laughing and left the room.

---

Ten minutes later Alice was gushing every single detail of her night with Jasper to me. I was sitting on my bed guzzling down a bottle of water like I had never drank it before in my life and listened to her detailed and graphic story. Unlike me...Alice had no problems in telling me _everything _she did with Jasper.

"I couldn't even believe what he was doing!" She yelled. "I mean he was a virgin Bella and he just...took control. I thought he'd be all nervous and I thought I'd most definitely have to be the initiator." She shook her head at me. "It was unreal the way he just knew exactly what he was doing. I mean I did have to...you know help him along a little bit, but he was a quick learner."

"Thanks Alice but I don't really need a visual," I joked to her. There are just some things that I don't need to know.

"Well I just wanted to share Bella. Last night was most likely the best night of my life. And Oh my god! I almost forgot to tell you the best part?" She was pretty much full out yelling now. She got up off my bed and started dancing all over the room. Was she not hung over? I mean _I_ felt like shit...but there she goes...dancing along.

"The sex wasn't the best part?" I asked her, raising my eyebrows at her. She fucking talked about it for long enough. She stopped dancing and shook her little head at me.

"I probably shouldn't even tell you and get Jasper to. That's what you did to me." She crossed her tiny arms and stared down at me. I didn't tell her something?

"Wh – what are you talking about..." I trailed off thinking about it. I racked my brain for a minute before it dawned on me. And after it did I was just fucking as hyper as Alice. I jumped off my bed and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Alice! He told you he loved you?"

"Yes!" She yelled at me. She wrapped her small arms around my neck and pulled me in for a hug. I was so happy for her it wasn't even funny. She deserved it after Ben. She was never happy just fooling around with guys and I knew that. But it was her life, and she chose that to make her happy for the time being. So after almost two years of having a broken heart, Jasper was finally here to mend it. That made me smile.

"Oh my god Alice that's great. I'm so happy for you. You deserve it." She let me go of her rather strong hold and smiled at me.

"I know. I couldn't believe it at first. He said it before we even did anything. And I thought he was just saying it because he was drunk...I thought it was a joke. Then he got really serious and started saying all of this stuff to me. He told me that he had waited for the perfect person to give himself to and he thought that that person was me. And then he told me that he enjoyed all of the time we were spending together and he loved everything about me. And then...he told me he loved me again. And I believed him." Tears were beginning to form in her eyes and when I blinked I realized that I was about to cry too. It was absolutely adorable and...it was fate that they met. They were perfect for each other.

"Alice...stop, you're making me cry," I told her, fanning my eyes with my hand. She laughed at tiny bit and wiped her eyes.

"Sorry. I'm just so happy. After you know...Ben. I was kind of broken and the chain of low lives that preceded him were no better. I'm just so grateful that I met Jasper. I actually saw him at the floor meeting that first night...but you were all lost in your little world of Edward that I didn't want to spoil things for you. And the next morning when I ran into him I couldn't _not _do anything. I mean we ran into each other by chance...well I did see him coming down the hall. But that's not the point. I'm just glad that after...what? Wow it's almost been two years since I dated Ben right?" I nodded my head. Psychic much? How does she manage to say some of the exact things I'm thinking sometimes? It's weird.

"Well you know what. Fuck Ben Cheney. And fuck that Angela that he cheated on me with." Ah...my daily dose of Trucker Tinkerbelle.

"I concur," I told her, smiling. She was so different with Jasper...even though he rarely swore either. I guess she was just getting her confidence back. I mean she always had it. But she was never like the way she was unless she was happily in a relationship. Alice took up a spot on my bed again and laid her head down at the foot of my bed.

"Bella I'm going to marry him someday," she told me, grinning. I smiled back.

"Are you now?" She nodded her head.

"Yep. How does...Alice Whitlock sound? Ooh. I like it. And we're going to have lots of kids."

"Alice you're eighteen. You're already planning the rest of your life?"

"Yes. I am. Because I know that I'd just be denying the inevitable if I refused to believe that Jasper will be with me until I'm old and gray. You watch Bella Swan. I will marry Jasper."

Despite everything that could possibly go wrong in a relationship...I believed her. I had doubted her before and I always was proven wrong. She had her sixth sense frequency with her and knew somehow what the future would hold; she was always so sure of herself. She seemed to truly love Jasper and he of course loved her back. So if Alice planned on spending her life with him...than she would. I knew one thing was for sure though. I would never bet against Alice.

**E.P.O.V**

Walking back to Berry was almost painful. It was unnaturally cold out for the end of September and I began to jog back to escape from the cold winds. As I was making my way through the student center my phone began to ring. I fished it out of my pocket and checked the caller ID before I answered; it was Emmett. I gulped. I really hoped that Rose didn't tell him what I had done.

"Hey Em, what's up?" I said, expecting the worst.

"Hey bro how was the party last night? I didn't see you much."

"It was good. Bella and I left early because she drank a little too much." He chuckled.

"How were you though? Was everything okay?" I breathed in deep. My stomach lurched forward suddenly when I realized what the next words out of my mouth were going to be.

"Actually...Emmett...Not so good." There was silence on his end. He finally cleared his throat.

"What are you saying? Don't tell me you're saying what I think you're saying..." My cheeks got hot...I'm such a moron.

"Okay can we meet and talk for a bit? Are you on campus?" He huffed into the phone.

"Yeah I'm in the student centre. Are you in your room?"

Coincidence much?

"Actually I'm in the student centre. Whereabouts are you?" I snapped my head up from the chair I had transfixed my gaze on in search of Emmett.

"I just started heading towards the back exit...oh wait I see you," Emmett said. I turned around and saw him walking towards me. I closed my phone and slid it back in my pocket.

"Dude...what the fuck?" Emmett said when he came to a stop in front of me. His dark brown eyes were glaring at me with such force.

"I...I don't even know. I can't explain myself. I'm such a disappointment," I said to him, shaking my head in disgust at myself.

"I mean what were you thinking Edward? What did I tell you when you quit last time?"

I knew exactly what he had said to me.

"_You ever touch that shit again I'll kick your ass,_" I quoted Emmett's exact words. I sighed and dropped my book bag to the ground. My arms hung limp at my sides and my palms were flat against my thighs. I deserve it. I wanted him to hit me. "Give me your best shot Em...god knows I deserve it."

I bit the inside of my lip and braced for impact. Emmett raised his fist and began hurling it forward when I instinctively closed my eyes and flinched backwards a tiny bit. When his fist didn't collide with my face a few seconds later, I opened my eyes. Emmett was grinning.

"Two for flinching you dick," he said, punching my left arm twice with a great amount of force. I grabbed at the spot he had hit and massaged it gently. Emmett was strong, obviously. He started laughing.

"You deserve that bro." I furrowed my brows at him. Was he not mad at me?

"Emmett...aren't you mad? I..." My arm really fucking hurt.

"Yeah I'm mad. But kicking your ass won't do me any good. And besides...Rose already told me." I paled. God damn her and her promises!

"What? When did she tell you?"

"Last night. She was worried about you despite how pissed off she was. Man...You sure can push her buttons when you want. She was throwing a hissy the entire night. I mean she did have good reason...and you told her not to tell me. But I know you just didn't want to disappoint me. And I'm not going to lie Edward...I am kind of disappointed...but bro you have got to make your own decisions. Just please from now own make smarter ones. And honestly, just don't do it again – I'd hate to give you a black eye."

I laughed a little as I kept meticulously massaging my arm. There would be a bruise there for sure.

"Emmett...I swear on...Bella's life, that I won't touch it ever again," He cocked an eyebrow at me. He knew I was serious – and I was. I didn't even want to do it again; I still don't know why I did in the first place.

"That's pretty bold man. So I know that you'll stick to it," he said this sticking his fist out. I bumped his fist with mine and gave him a tiny smile.

"I will," I vowed honestly.

"Okay...and hey. Mom and dad called me this morning. They wanted to talk to you but I told them that you had class. Call them later; they want to hear all about Bella."

Good god. I had wanted to tell them about Bella.

"Emmett you told them about Bella? I couldn't have done that?" He laughed again.

"Sorry man. I just like Bella and couldn't help but tell them when they asked me if you had yourself a little girlfriend yet." I rolled my eyes and laughed a little.

"Alright well I'll call them later then. But I actually have to go now...I'll talk to you later?"

"Yeah man. I've got to go to. I'll call you later maybe, see yah."

Emmett turned around and walked back in the direction he came from.

I was a little pissed that Emmett had told mom and dad about Bella. I wanted to tell them. She was _mine. _And she was the only girlfriend I ever had that I had actually wanted to introduce them to. I continued on, trudging my way to Commons and tried to decide what it was that I wanted to eat. Along with these thoughts hundreds of others were swirling around in there too. I had so many questions for myself that I couldn't even answer.

But I felt like some of the heavy weight that was on my shoulder's had been miraculously lifted off. Emmett was mad at me...but he would forgive me. But it's not like I had planned on him being forgiving anyways; I was lucky that he didn't pound me to the ground the in the middle of the student centre. So right now I was...elated. And I _could _tell Bella. Our date...I'd make it Monday. Give myself the weekend to psych myself up for this. She loves me; I know she'd understand.

Ten minutes and twenty dollars later I was back in Bella's room. How come every time I saw her I felt like I hadn't been with her in years? I had been gone for maybe two hours...not even. It felt like it had been two years. I placed her container in front of her and handed her a fork.

"Mmm, pasta. How'd you know that's what I wanted?" She crossed her legs on the floor across from me and took a big mouthful of the saucy noodles.

"I can read minds," I told her jokingly. She laughed and almost spit the pasta out of her mouth. "And it's what I wanted too."

I opened my lid and began eating the steamy pasta. I was devouring it in record time. I hadn't even realized how hungry I was until I smelled the food. Even though Bella started before me I finished long before she was anywhere close to being finished. But she didn't judge me for it; she loved me for it – which is why she would understand my problem.

"Thanks for lunch. You know you didn't have to buy it for me," she said to me once she was finished. I found it so cute that she hated when I paid for things for her. Well she had better get used to it.

"Bella can you stop with all that? I'm going to buy you whatever I'd like...and you're just going to have to deal with it. Is that clear?" She returned to the floor, where I was sitting with my back against her bed, and curled herself into my side. She exhaled a long breath and looked up at me.

"Fine. I guess I'll have to get used to it. You're just so damn stubborn."

"Ha! You think I'm stubborn Miss. Don't-buy-me-stuff." She giggled at me and bit her lip.

"Okay...we're...both stubborn," she said to me in between a yawn. A minute later I yawned back and began to stand up. "What are you doing? I was so comfortable." Bella looked at me with tired eyes and an upset expression. I bent down and picked her up by the waist. She stood on her feet once she was stable and frowned at me.

"Bed time," I told her, pulling the covers back. She smiled at me and hopped into the bed. I went to the window and pulled the blinds shut before I joined her. It was mostly dark, but I could still see everything. I kicked my shoes off before I covered myself up and Bella did the same. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She rested her head in the crook of my neck; she fit there so perfectly. I closed my eyes and breathed in her delicious strawberry scent. The aroma mixed with her warm body and my tiredness caused me to fall into a deep slumber almost instantaneously.

**B.P.O.V**

"Ow. Shit..." I heard Edward say. I was shaking uncontrollably. And sweating. And my hand hurt...really bad. What the hell? I had just woken up. I opened my eyes and the room was dark...really dark. No light was coming from the window at all, it had to be late.

"You okay?" I asked Edward; I wondered what he did. He huffed at me and started to get up.

"I guess so. That fucking hurt," he said, crawling to the end of the bed. He turned on the lamp that was on my desk and his sleepy eyes met mine. He rubbed his hand along the left side of his face and furrowed his brows at me.

"What did you do?" I asked, pushing the covers off. I shuffled to where he was and put my hand on his leg. He cocked an eyebrow at me.

"No, no. Not me. You. You hit me," he said, pulling his hand away. He turned his face to the light and I saw a faint pink welt on the side of his face. I smacked my hand across my mouth.

"Oh my god..." I mumbled, lightly tracing my finger along the mark. How the hell did I manage to hit him? I hit him in my sleep? So now I'm not just talking in my sleep...I'm getting violent. Perfect. "I hit you in my sleep?" I asked, kind of horrified at myself. He turned back to me and nodded. He didn't really seem mad at me though.

"Yeah. You were...talking in your sleep, again. And I'm pretty sure you had a nightmare." Oh great...still having crazy fucked up nightmares too. Go me. "And I woke up when you started to yell...and you calmed down...but then out of nowhere you smacked me right across the face. Like full out bitch slap," he said, starting to smile a tiny bit.

"Edward I'm so sorry. Ugh, I feel horrible. Look what I did to your face."

"Bella its okay," he told me, taking my hand in his. "You were sleeping. It's not like it was under your control. It just really fucking hurt...that's all. And I mean...you still have the nightmares?" I shrugged. Apparently I still do. Although I have no idea what this last one was about. I couldn't remember a single thing I had dreamt.

"I guess...but I don't remember anything from this last one. Maybe that's good though. I mean if you hadn't told me I wouldn't have thought I had a nightmare at all. But I guess I was shaking like a leaf...I would have realized it sooner or later."

"Well hopefully you'll start to get rid of them soon. So I don't end up getting a worse injury," he said to me, smiling playfully. I smiled back. He was the best. I mean I smack him in the face and he doesn't even get mad at me. I looked behind Edward to the clock – it was nearly eight o'clock. Damn we were tired. I still just wanted to go back to bed. But of course, like most things I do...my plan to go back to sleep was interrupted by my phone. I listened to the jingle for a second before taking the phone off the desk. I wonder where the pixie was right now. Probably with Jasper; where else was she nowadays? But I guess I couldn't judge; I mean I was never more than five feet away from Edward when I didn't need to be.

I felt a whole wave of emotions crash like a tidal wave over me when I saw the caller ID. It wasn't Alice. It was Renee. I hadn't talked to her in so long...too long. I realized with regret that I hadn't even called her after the accident, and Charlie didn't either because my parents no longer even spoke to each other. And now that she was calling me I realized that I missed her like crazy. Even though I was always going to be a little perma-mad at her for ditching Charlie like she had...I still loved her, she was my mom. And I hadn't seen her or spoken to her since July. I felt tears beginning to form in my eyes and Edward stared at me with intensity and concern. He rubbed my arm up and down to console me. I wasn't upset...I was happy. I flipped open the phone

"Mom. Hey," I said, smiling.

"Hey sweetie. Sorry I haven't called in a while. We've been on the road and..." She trailed off. I heard her sniffle and then cough. My stomach dropped. Oh no...Something was wrong.

"Mom what's wrong?" I asked, my voice shaking a little.

"Oh honey nothing major you need to worry about. Phil had a little spill out on the field and...Well he's going to need surgery. They don't know if he'll be able to play again. I just got back from the hospital and decided to call you. I needed someone to talk to...and well we haven't spoken in a long time Bella. But how is everything with you? How is school? I want to hear everything." I sighed in relief that Phil was only going to need surgery.

I began at length in retelling my mom my experience in college so far. Edward was more than accepting of my long chat with her. He lay back against the wall and pulled me into his lap. I rested against his chest and played with his fingers as I told Renee all about him. She asked about everything possible, and I told her absolutely everything. I loved him, and I knew she would too. She said she really wanted to meet him someday. I told her all about my classes and me rooming with Alice. She had suspected as much – she knew Alice and I were joined at the hip. And then I regrettably decided to tell her about my little accident – she wasn't happy. She at first started to cry and was more than upset that her little girl had been attacked. But when I had finally convinced her that I was okay and that I was safe she got pissed at me. She demanded to know why I didn't call her and tell her right away. In all honesty I had thought about it...but I thought it would have been better to tell her when I could explain all of it to her. The last week and a half had been pretty hectic for me, with school and all.

She was where I got all of my stubbornness from; go figure. But when I explained myself she forgave me. She told me she wanted to see me because she missed me, and I missed her too the more I kept talking to her. And Edward was a saint. He was quiet the entire time; just playing with my hair or my fingers or the hem of my shirt.

"So baby listen I want you to come visit when you can. On one of your breaks or something," Renee said, after an hour and a half of talking. I smiled. Maybe I could bring Edward with me.

"Okay that sounds great. I mean Thanksgiving is coming up...then it's the Christmas holidays," I told her.

"Thanksgiving sounds perfect. I want to see you as soon as I can. But listen...this is probably costing us a lot...so I'll call you in a few weeks and we can arrange for you to come down. And maybe you can bring Edward along with you. Phil and I would love to meet him." I smiled at the phone.

"Yeah maybe Edward would like to come too," I told her, turning to look at Edward. He tugged at the collar of his shirt jokingly. He smiled and then took the phone from my hand. My eyes popped open wide.

"Hello Renee this is Edward," his sexy, smooth voice said into the phone. I realized that after not hearing his voice for an hour and a half that I missed it. Melting honey.

"Yes well I am very much going to be looking forward to meeting you too...that won't be necessary. Bella and I can drive down. Instead of heading to Forks we'll just head for Phoenix on our way back....Okay. Well would you like to talk to Bella again?...Alright well..." He paused to laugh. "Well thank you very much. We'll see you at Thanksgiving...bye." And he hung up the phone. I just stared at him. Utterly amazing. I had no words...literally. I just didn't know what to say. Now both of my parents seemed to like Edward. Which was good? Really good. I was just shocked at how Edward was just...being so...confident. I knew how freaked out he was when he was meeting Charlie, but with Renee he was totally calm. Maybe it was because mothers adored him. Which I could definitely see.

"So...were going to Phoenix for Thanksgiving," Edward said to me, smiling his great crooked smile. Still...no words managed to escape me. He had arranged for us both to go to Phoenix!

"Yeah...apparently," I said to him, still shocked that he had just done all that. And Renee seemed to really take an interest in Edward; she liked him already.

"That's a good thing though right? I mean you want me to go?" He asked, his face showing a flicker of uncertainty. He needed help if he thought I could survive a whole week in Phoenix without him.

"Of course it's a good thing. I want you to meet my mom. I can tell she already likes you," I said to him, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly.

"Good. Because the Thanksgiving break would otherwise suck if I wasn't with you." I smiled into his chest.

"I know. It would be painful. But I'm glad you're coming with me...I've never introduced Renee to a boyfriend before. Well I hadn't introduced either of my parents to a boyfriend before." He softly chuckled and my head bounced against his chest. He began gently running his fingers through my hair, brushing it away from my face.

"You're the only one I've ever actually wanted to introduce to my parents. I know they'd love you," he told me. I had a sudden panic attack. What if they _didn't _like me? I would hate to think that Edward's feelings for me would change if it happened that his parents didn't like me.

"Edward what if they don't like me?" I asked, looking up to him. He gave me a '_puh-lease' _type of stare.

"Honestly Bella?" He asked, still giving me that look. My cheeks turned a little pink. I knew it was probably silly to think...but I couldn't help it. "I love you and you make me happier than ever. So Carlisle and Esme will love you. I promise." He kissed the top of my head as if to seal his own words in stone. He was unwavering in his statement. He knew they'd love me...so I would believe him.

"Okay. I believe you," I told him, kissing his chin. He held me tighter and kissed the top of my head. I sighed in contentment, because everything in my life right now was actually going _well. _I was sure that after Forks finest assholes that I would never find a decent guy...but here he was. My Adonis in all his glory; being everything I ever wanted.

"Hey Bella?" Edward asked in his low, soft, sexy voice.

"Hmm?" I turned my head up to meet his still tired looking eyes.

"How's Monday for our date?" He took my hand off the bed and laced his fingers with mine; I squeezed his hand tight and smiled.

"Hmm...Sounds good to me," I told him, smiling like a retard. He always made me feel so...I don't know. He just completed me. "And I think I'm just going to ditch shorter genres then...no use going to that class. I can't handle it right now. Besides, it will give us more time for our date."

"Healthy to ditch every now and then eh?" He asked, laughing softly. I nodded. He knew my philosophy. "Okay then. It's settled; Monday it is."

He kissed me gently on the lips; like the day for our date was being sealed with this kiss. I gave it all I could with my tiredness holding me back for the most part. He pulled me up, trying to get better access to my mouth, and I was soon practically straddling his lap. I had both my hands on the sides of his face and tilted my head to deepen the kiss yet again. He gripped the fabric of my shirt tightly, balling it up in one of his fists. His other hand was still roaming wildly, he always did this. When he was turned on it's almost like he didn't even know what to do with his hands. He always moved them about frantically, and if I'm being honest with myself I'd say it turned me on even more; feeling his hands moving all over my body. His free hand slid up the back of my shirt and his fingertips trailed along my spine and my un-toned back muscles. His next movement jolted me forward a tiny bit. His short fingernails scratched into my back sending my body further into his; he had never done that before. And it felt good. I broke the kiss and smiled into his mouth, because I dug my fingernails into him all the time, and I knew he liked it.

"Mmm," I moaned, nipping lightly at his bottom lip. Guttural noises of all kinds were coming from the back of Edward's throat. I smiled deviously at him and took his bottom lip in my mouth. His hands quickly went to work on my shirt, and in seconds it was on the floor. His fingers moved swiftly moved along my back and he expertly unclasped my bra; sending it too to the floor. I was cold. I pressed my body into Edward's and he wrapped his arms around me tightly. I shivered slightly, but wanted more skin to skin contact. I pulled away and bit my lip a bit before I started to take off his shirt.

"Psst, Bella?" I heard Alice's voice say through the door. Oh what the fuck? Every time? I looked over to the door and saw the knob beginning to turn. Great. Alice kept talking. "Bella are you awake?" She said, opening the door wider.

"Yeah Alice...just hang on –" But I was too late, she poked her little head around the door and she almost immediately looked away.

"Oh shit...I'm sorry!" She said, removing her head from my view. "Sorry, I should've knocked or something."

Edward laughed because well...what else could you do? So I laughed with him. I redressed in record time and walked out into the hall with Edward. Alice was leaning against the wall, fidgeting with her fingers.

"I'm really sorry," she said to me, giving me an apologetic look. Edward chuckled a bit again.

"Alice don't worry about it," he told her, waving his hand. She nodded and disappeared into the room.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked, taking his hand in mine. He nodded a little.

"Most likely. I have a test to study for and a paper to start writing," he said, frowning a bit. I had barely done any school work this year...because of Edward. Which was both a good and bad thing? But I suppose he was right. I had a test for art history in a week or two and I probably had a paper in there too. Damn school.

"Yeah I should probably do homework too," I told him. He nodded. "Well how about we do homework together?" I asked; I didn't like not seeing him. He scoffed amusedly at me.

"Please Bella. You think I'd be able to get any homework done with you there to distract me? You're a tease enough now as it is," he said, earning a shocking face from me. I was not a tease!

"Excuse me?" I asked, playfully smacking his arm. "I am _not _a tease," I told him, crossing my arms. He laughed and eyed me with his...oh so sexy stare.

"Are too. Have you seen what you're wearing? You're telling me you didn't pick that out on purpose?" Okay...maybe I was a tease. I had picked this out on purpose. I was wearing my yoga pants, because I knew he liked them, and I was wearing a too tight blue tank top. I laughed.

"Okay...I give. But so are you," I told him, biting my lip a bit. He laughed in return.

"I know I am...at least I admit it," he told me, kissing me on the lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. His arms wrapped around my waist and we kissed for several minutes, just enjoying each other. But we were both still exhausted, and wanted to go to bed. He pulled away reluctantly and gave me a final kiss before saying goodnight and retreating to his own room. I skipped into my room and found Alice lying down on her bed humming a quiet tune to herself. She was overly cheerful, and out of character...and I loved it. She heard me come in the door and turned her head slightly to meet me.

"Oh Bella, I'm sorry I'm such a cock-block," she told me, laughing heartily to herself. I laughed with her. She knew how much she had done shit like this to us in the past god knows how long. Since Edward and I met really?

"It's okay Al. We should've locked the door. And besides it's your room too." She nodded her little head and kept humming her tune. I changed into my pyjamas and climbed into bed, worn out from the night before. I could remember bits and pieces of the party; when we arrived, when we did the shots...

And then the next thing I remember is hurling myself to the ground outside of Sigma Phi. And then I black out again and wake up with Edward carrying me up the stairs. After that of course I remember _everything. _Oh well, can't undo what's already been done I suppose. I slipped in under my covers that were still warm from where Edward and I had been sitting on them, and snuggled up to his scent. It was still fresh on my pillows and my blankets. I curled it around me, sending wafts of Edward into my nostrils and making me feel comfortable, home. My eyes fluttered closed and I said my goodnight to Alice before I drifted off into my dream land. Hopefully tonight would give me some relief from my ever recurring nightmare.

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Ah, reviews : )


	19. Inevitable

**A/N: **I laugh at myself. A few days for an update...haha. Well it works out well for you readers!

Okay...and this chapter is for you **madisonbelle! **Here's your boy manning up! (Finally)

Enjoy!

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**E.P.O.V**

Today is Monday.

And I, Edward Anthony Cullen, am a screwed over motherfucker.

I paced the room, nervous as fuck, as I listened to Jasper play an uncanny version of _Everlong _on his guitar_. _I exhaled deeply, nodding my head to the tune. Jasper was an expert at guitar; something that I was nearly jealous of. Sure I could play the piano expertly, but the guitar seemed more...humble. I mouthed the words to the song, hoping they would calm me down; and they did to a certain degree. _Okay, everything will be fine Edward._ I wanted to scoff at myself.

"Dude. Calm down," Jazz said, never breaking the harmonious strum of the guitar strings. I calmed; as much as I could.

"_And I wonder...when I sing along with you. If everything could ever feel this real forever, if anything could ever be this good again. The only thing I'd ever ask of you: you got to promise not to stop when I say when..." _I sang low, barely audible to Jasper I'm sure. Ah, the Foo's were soothing. I sat down on my bed, waiting the half an hour Alice had made me wait while she got Bella ready. Jazz played the last part of the song and set his guitar down on his bed.

"You alright?" He asked, giving me that all-knowing, wise look. He knew I wasn't. I shook my head.

"Not at all. What if she just leaves Jazz? I can't...I don't know what I'll do." I ran both my hands through my hair, pulling on it at the end. This was it; this was what was going to decide the rest of my life. But really; what kind of life would it be if Bella wasn't with me? I remembered the song Jazz had just played..._if anything could ever be this good again_...

Nothing would ever be as good as Bella...ever. She was _it. _

"Okay Edward, I'm not going to lie. I can't promise you that she won't walk away. But she loves you, and that has to be worth something. Just talk to her, I'm sure she'll try to understand," he said to me, picking his guitar back up. "Any other requests?" Jazz asked, strumming absently. I thought about songs that reminded me of Bella.

"How about some Anberlin? You know any?"

"A few songs...uh, Inevitable –" I cut him off right there – one of Bella's favourite songs.

"That one," I said, resting onto the bed. He began strumming the quiet introduction to the song. I sang, but not in time with the guitar. My phone vibrated a minute later and it was her.

"Hey," I breathed into the phone, happy as a clam that she was calling. I don't really know why...

"I'm ready, you can come get me now," she said into the phone, I could almost see her smiling. Oh, Bella...I'm so sorry I'm a douche.

"On my way," I told her, hanging up the phone. "Alright man...here goes nothing."

"Break a leg," Jazz said as I headed for the door, keys and wallet stuffed into my pockets.

"Yeah...if she doesn't break it for me," I said, swinging the door open and heading down the hallway to Bella's room. I stopped abruptly in front of her door, and knocked three times. She opened the door within seconds and had the biggest smile on her face. I smiled back as best I could and it seemed to satisfy her. She kissed me quickly before grabbing her purse and leaving with me. Despite the sick feeling I had in the pit of my stomach, I couldn't help but notice that she looked gorgeous. Her hair was straight, for once, and she was wearing perfectly fitting jeans, with a pair of her Vans. Her jacket was a dark brown, complimenting her skin tone. We walked hand in hand to the parking garage, me barely saying anything and her just enjoying the silence.

"So where are we going? Can you tell me this time?" Bella asked, slipping into the opened door. I closed it behind her and got into the driver's seat a few seconds later. I decided to be as good to her as I could be.

"Well it's all up to you tonight. Whatever you want to do, we can do," I said to her, smiling a smile that had sadness seeping into it I'm sure. She smiled back, clearly happy with this.

"Okay. Do we have to go to a restaurant this time? It's really not us. How about we just go get pizza or something?" She said, shrugging. It sounded so perfect...and _so _us. We weren't all about going out to extravagant places. Keep it simple; that was us.

"Alright, that sounds good," I told her, trying to smile better. I pulled out and started tearing down the main street to whatever pizza place it is that Bella wanted to go to. She mentioned something about one called Mama's that was supposed to be pretty good. She directed me which way to go and in minutes we were there, ordering our food. I must have looked pretty glum because Bella commented on my mood.

"Hey," she said, scooting her chair closer to mine. She placed her warm hand over my cheek and stroked her thumb across my cleanly shaven face. "Are you okay?" She asked, being a gentle sweetheart. _God how I love you, please don't leave me._ I shrugged. I didn't really want to talk about it in a public place like a pizzeria.

"Not really. But I will be. Can we talk after dinner?" I asked, rubbing my hand along hers. She frowned and concern washed over her face.

"Edward what's going on?" Her voice was almost a whisper, and very shaky.

"Love calm down," I said, cupping her cheek. "We'll talk after dinner. Can we go back to the lake? Is that okay with you?" I asked, forcing her eyes to meet mine. She nodded.

I bent my head to hers and kissed her on the lips, trying my damn hardest to channel all my love for her into that one kiss. I held on to the side of her face tightly, and never wanted to let go. I pulled away too soon, because we were in public after all, and kept her face in my hands.

"Bella I love you," I told her, conveying this with my eyes as well. She smiled a bit.

"I love you too," she said, again in an almost whisper. This was going to be hell. Now she was upset because she knew there was something up with me and didn't know what in the hell it was. It was probably killing her...

Why am I such a fucking dumbass?

"Here you are," the polite waiter said, placing two cokes down in front of Bella and me. I thanked him and took the straw in my mouth, slurping down the fizzy drink. I never normally drank pop, but tonight nothing was going to be normal. But I decided to try to be as normal as I could be with my nerves and made conversation with Bella.

"So, how was the rest of your day?" I asked, taking her hand from the table. I held onto her for dear fucking life. She gave me a tiny shrug.

"It was alright. I didn't really do much, read a bit. Have you read the books yet?" She asked, scooting her chair a bit closer. I was glad that she wanted to be closer to me.

"Not really. I've read the first one, and started the second," I replied, tracing a square shape on the back of her hand. It soon turned into a circle because a square was too fucking hard to draw.

"I'm on the third," she said, laughing a sad laugh. Oh god, we were so morose, like someone was going to die. I squeezed her hand gently and she scooted closer to me again. I couldn't stay away from her any longer. I pushed my chair back a bit and pulled her onto my lap. She sat and rested her head on my shoulder. I brushed my fingers through her silky, smooth hair and she sighed into the crook of my neck. My skin tingled and I shivered from her warm breath.

"Edward is it bad?" She asked, removing her head. She looked at me with tears in her eyes. Oh no...Not now. Not yet.

"Please don't cry. And what I have to say to you? Well...yes. But please can we talk after?" I asked, rubbing my thumb across her cheek. One lone tear spilled over her beautiful brown eyes and she nodded. She bit her lip before she kissed me and returned to her seat. The waiter was back a short time later with the pizza. We ate, mostly in silence. Either she or I would have the odd comment about the pizza or the place. We were being us...but we both knew something was coming...the inevitable. I paid for the check and we left hand in hand, both of us not wanting to go back to our lake for this talk; whatever it was.

"Thank-you for dinner," Bella said once we were in the Volvo on our way to the lake.

"No problem," I told her, placing my palm face up on the console. She laced her fingers with mine and I curled mine over top of hers. Driving with one hand was easy and if I could, I would look at her rather than the road; but I didn't want to get us killed. I made my way to the lake, trying to drive slower than usual. Either way I would have to get this out there and in the open, before Bella went insane trying to figure out what the hell this was all about. I pulled into the parking lot to find that nobody was here again, like last time. But unlike last time, it was ten times colder. I didn't really want to sit on the grass and spotted a few picnic tables near the playground. I popped the trunk and grabbed a blanket so we could sit on it and the picnic table. I opened Bella's door for her and she took my hand, curling herself into my side. She was going to get cold, fast. I laid the blanket down on top of the old, wooden picnic table and I helped her climb up and followed her afterwards.

"Humph," she said, her face pointed towards the sky. "There aren't that many stars out," she told me sadly. "There was so many more the first time we came here."

"I know," I said for the lack of a better comeback. I wanted to stay in this moment right here forever. Because after this talk...I had no idea what would happen.

"So..." She said, fixing her gaze on me now. Okay. Here it goes. "Edward...please. What is going on?" She asked, grabbing my hand like I was going to run away from her.

"Bella...I don't even know where to start. I mean, it's just..." I said, really not knowing how to tell her I lied to her face on several occasions. She swallowed hard next to me and her breathing was becoming ragged.

"Are you...are you breaking up with me?" She asked in a small voice, squeezing my hand; bracing herself for an answer. She was insane.

"No! Bella, no. You're crazy. I would never," I told her, taking her face between my hands again. I kissed her softly on the mouth and she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Okay good. Because I thought that you were. I mean before in the pizzeria you said that you weren't okay but you would be...I thought –" She said, cutting herself off to kiss me again. I was glad that she was somewhat better...but now I was going to throw all that happiness out the motherfucking window. I should win the award for biggest dickhead of the year. They'd give me a plaque and nail it to my wall so I could never take it down; I'd be reminded for the rest of my life how much of an idiot I was.

"So what is it?" She asked, pulling her face away from mine. She smiled a little bit, twirling a lock of my hair in between her thumb and forefinger. I breathed in deep and met her eyes. I bit my lip hard, not wanting to say what I was about to say.

"Bella I need to confess to something," I told her, keeping a firm hold of her on her lower back. She kept playing with my hair and gave me a curious look. I still didn't even know what to say to her. This was horrible.

"Look...okay. I don't really know where to start. So I should explain from the beginning. Remember when I told you that Tanya's dad didn't like me?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said, biting her lip to stop from smiling. "When you two got caught..."

"That's right," I said, nodding. "Well...at that time – I was drunk. When I slept with her I was really drunk, and...most other times during my junior year I was also drunk." She furrowed her brows and her head cocked to the side.

"What?"

"Okay. You remember how I said that I was really into the drinking scene?" She nodded almost solemnly. Her face was a pale white against the dark of the night.

"Yes." Was her tight response.

"Well...Bella I'm sorry. I didn't tell you how much I used to drink. I was – nearly alcoholic," I finally confessed, looking away from her eyes. I couldn't infect her with my disease. "And...I used to drink a lot of –" I couldn't bring myself to say it...which worked out twisted and perfectly because she finished my sentence.

"Tequila," she said like it was pure truth, which it fucking was. I needed to look into her eyes, despite the fact that I knew they'd be burning into mine. I looked up, her eyes glazed over with tears.

"Bella I'm sorry," I told her, tightening my hold on her jacket. She took her hands away from my hair and wrapped them around herself.

"You're sorry?" She asked in a shaky voice. She wiggled her shoulders, wanting to be free from my grasp. I let her go without complaint because she had every right to be angry with me. "Edward...you – oh my god, you lied right to my face," she said, remembering that day out front of Berry probably as clear as a bell. She laughed maniacally a little bit, probably realizing everything made so much sense now. She stood up off the table and turned away from me.

"I didn't know what to do...I didn't mean to lie. I just couldn't tell you the truth – you would have hated me," I explained.

"You didn't mean to lie?" She asked, raising her voice. "Edward I asked you point blank what was wrong and you told me nothing..." She was still turned away from me and her voice was becoming nearly inaudible as she kept talking.

"I know. And I'm sorry. I didn't want you to see that part of me – it's ugly and disgusting and you didn't need to see it," I said, standing up. I grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around so she was facing me. I felt sick. She was crying. "Bella..." I said taking the hand that was covering her mouth. I kissed each of her knuckles slowly – this was the worst thing I had ever done.

"You're such an id-idiot," she told me, a sniffle interrupting her.

"I know. I'm an idiot, I'm stupid, I'm a moron....I'm everything horrible. I just – I couldn't screw up like Tyler and Mike...and that was my one thing that I did wrong. I knew you'd think I was terrible, just like them." Her eyes whipped up from the ground, still glazed over in tears. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, the hurt subsiding...?

"Well then you're right. You are terrible, just like them. But what you did is so much worse," she said, staring me right in the eyes. My heart wrenched...that hurt. My eyes stung; damn you tears. I hated that I was so emotional, especially around Bella.

"I know, I don't –"

"But you're also wrong," she said, cutting me off. "That one thing that you did wrong...it wasn't the drinking Edward...it was this," she said, gesturing to the conversation we were having. "It was lying to me about it and telling me everything was okay when it wasn't."

"I...what?" I asked, dumbfounded. It was like that fucking wise Southerner had told me; she would never forgive me for the lying... "I thought you...oh god," I said, sitting my ass back down on the picnic table. I always thought that the drinking would have been my screw up...how could I have been such a fucking dumbass?!

"Can you please take me home?" Bella asked, standing in front of me with crossed arms.

"No. Bella please, can we just talk?" I asked panicking like I never had before. I searched her face for something that was anything but anger and hurt; I found nothing.

"I don't want to talk to you right now. I'm so...Edward I just can't even believe this," she said sitting down on the grass right where she was standing. She buried her face in her hands and I heard loud sobs erupting from her. I bolted forward to her and put my arms around her, and she pushed away. God damn this fucking sucks shit! I can't even comfort my own girlfriend.

"Bella please," I begged, sitting on my knees. I would beg; if she would let me stay I would beg. "I'm everything wrong in this relationship and I'm pathetic. And I love you. Please. I told you this because I couldn't lie to you...you mean too much to me. And I thought that this thing...I did...was, the one th-thing that would make you hate me. And it turns out that...th-that I fucked it up even more by trying to keep it from you," I was crying now. I didn't care. I just needed her to hear all of my explanation before she demanded I take her home again. I was staring at her bent head; she was shaking from the sobbing and the cold. I rubbed my hand along her arm and she surprisingly didn't push it away; she gripped my arm with one of her hands and showed me her face. Her eyes were red and puffy and her face was wet with tears. I hated that I had done this to her.

"How could you have been so...st-stupid?" She asked, a sob erupting from her chest. Her hand gripped my arm even tighter, twisting my leather jacket in her little hand. "Edward..." She sobbed violently, breaking down before my very eyes.

"I know. I'm stupid; I'm a mo-moron. I just cared about this too much to screw it up," I told her, moving my hand to her face. "You have no idea how much you mean to me." My eyes burned into hers, despite the blurriness. She had to believe me. "You have to believe me Bella. I would never...ever do anything to hurt you." She gave me an I-want-to-believe-you type of look.

"How am I supposed to believe you...after this?" She said, letting my jacket go. I thought I had her there for a minute...but this would fucking be brutal. Shit. Now my loyalty would be questioned. I mean after I lied about one thing who's to say that I wouldn't lie about something else? Fuck, I'm screwed.

"I...don't know," I confessed honestly. Everything else I had said to her had been the honest truth, with the exception of this huge fucking disaster they call a past.

"I mean...how do I even know you love me at all?" She spat through her tears, glaring at me. She fucking knew that would hurt me, bad.

"Bella don't you even fucking go there. How can you even say that?" That shit is just not fair. She _knows _how much I love her. "You know how much I fucking love you."

"Well I don't know Edward. You lied to me about this. Why wouldn't you lie your ass off about everything else?" She sneered. Now she was being cruel; and she knew it. She wouldn't get rid of me this easily. I'm a fighter. I lifted one finger and put it against her temple, feeling the electricity almost instantly. I dragged it down her face and rested it under her chin; her eyes closed as soon as I made contact. We never mentioned the electricity we felt to one another, but I knew we both felt it.

"Don't you sit there and tell me you don't feel that too Bella. You know I love you. And I think I would love you even if I didn't want to love you. My body can't help it," I told her, lifting her chin. Her eyes opened and tears were spilling over again. She knew it was true; every inch of her loved every inch of me back, and we both knew it. "And I know you love me back, whether you want to or not right now." She sobbed violently, putting her hand on my hand; the one that was under her chin. She opened her eyes, and looked deep into mine. _Come on Bella...you know this is true._ I needed to show her I cared...that I actually loved her...

I got the most brilliant fucking idea...thank you Jasper!

"_Do you remember when we were just kids...and cardboard boxes took us miles, from what we would miss..." _Her jaw fell slack when I sang her those words – I knew it was her favourite Anberlin song. I knew every fucking word. "_Schoolyard conversations taken to heart...and laughter took the place, of everything we knew we were not..." _

"Bella I will sing to you all day, if it will prove to you that I love you..." I broke out of the song. She continued to stare at me, trembling. I wasn't sure if it was from the cold, the crying, the singing or a combination of all three. So on I went.

"_I want to break every clock. The hands of time could never move again...we could stay in this moment...for the rest of our lives." _A loud sob erupted from her chest at this line. "_Is it over now, hey, is it over now?" _I stared at her, asking her if this was over...if what we had...

I moved my hand to the side of her face and her hand fell from mine, I rubbed her face soothingly. _Please answer me. _She closed her mouth and bit her lip hard, tears spilling down her face. I wiped them away with my thumb. If she wouldn't answer me than I would keep going. I kept going...the part I wanted to sing to her, because it was fucking true as hell. "_I want to be your last first kiss...that you'll ever have...I want to be your last...first...kiss." _She cried harder, not taking her eyes off of me. I continued to wipe her tears away...and kept up the singing, as long as she wasn't leaving. "_Amazing how...life turns out, the way that it does. We end up hurting the worst...the only ones we really love..."_ Tears began falling down my face now too. I was sorrier than she would ever know. I skipped forward in the song, repeating my same line as before. "_Is it over now, hey, is it over now?" _She cleared her throat, swallowing hard.

"That's...it's not th-the right line," she said, putting her hand right on the side of my neck. She rubbed her thumb all along my jaw line and I closed my eyes, thankful she was touching me at all.

"Want to help me out?" I asked, scooting closer to her. Her hand moved to the back of my neck and she nodded. I sat my ass on the cold, wet ground in front of her and I didn't care.

"_I want to break every clock. The hands of time could never move again...we could stay in this moment...for the rest of our lives," _she managed to choke out despite the frequent sobbing. Our eyes never left each others. I repeated my part again.

"_Is it over now, hey, is it over now?" _I wanted her to answer this question so bad. She couldn't leave me...I wouldn't be able to...live. If she left me – love, life, meaning...over. She again brushed my question off and continued.

"_I want to be your last first kiss...that you'll ever have...I want to be your last...first...kiss." _Her sobbing was becoming less frequent and her hand tangled into my hair. She leant up to me, affectionately brushing her nose against mine.

My heart thumped madly in my chest.

This wasn't over; not now...not ever.

She tenderly – with so much more emotion than ever – pressed her lips against mine. I furrowed my brows in pure want when she actually opened her mouth; our tongues met half way, like most times. We kissed deeply, slowly, romantically...like this was the epitome of a kiss right here; this was everything a kiss was meant to be. She whimpered after a minute, her fingers tangling into the deep roots of my hair.

"Bella," I said, breaking the most passionate kiss I had ever shared with anyone in my life. "I...am so sorry. You have every reason to be mad at me and to want to hate me right now. But you can't go and tell me that we don't love each other god dammit. You know it's not true." She kissed me on the lips a few times; innocent little pecks.

"I know..." She finally said, after kissing my mouth for several minutes. "I'm just so mad at you right now. But even though you did this I could never...ever...bring myself to _not _love you." She kissed me on the lips, showing me she loved me. But I didn't need the reassurance anymore. I knew she loved me. I was trying to convince her everything I had said to her since we met had been the truth. But at the same time now...she had an odd way of showing that she was mad at me; I didn't care about this either. She could kiss me all she wants. As long as she wanted me. She continued to kiss me, just like before. And just like before it was the best kiss any two people in the history of the world had ever shared; I didn't need a fucking history of every passionate kiss, I just fucking knew. Better than Rose and Jack on the motherfucking Titanic; that's right. We out did those motherfuckers who had the most forbidden love out there. I still felt that I needed to explain myself though. What was going to happen after this? I mean, she was clearly mad...and I wanted to know what she wanted to do to fix it.

"Bella what about after?" I asked, pulling away from her again. Her still wet brown eyes gave me a look I didn't at all understand.

"Cullen...shut the fuck up," she said, pressing her lips to mine again. Okay...if that wasn't the biggest turn on...than I don't know what is. Her using my last name and swearing in a passionate moment...oh fuck. I held the sides of her face tightly and pressed my tongue too eagerly against hers. She was pushing back at me with force, the passionate kiss turning quickly into one of desire and lust. We hadn't had sex in a week...and I didn't remember any of the shit we did on Friday. And just like that...with the snap of a finger, I was as hard as a rock. Bella's whole body pressed against me and I was letting her push me down to the ground. She gently placed herself on top of me once I was lying with my back on the cold, wet ground. Why the fuck are we in a park right now? I pushed my face against hers and removed my tongue from her mouth.

"Want to get out of here?" I asked breathlessly. She said nothing and got up off of me. She swiped the blanket off the table and headed for the Volvo; I was right behind her. She got in the backseat and left the door open for me – god she's too fucking sexy for words. I scrambled in and shut the door to find her removing her clothing. Her jacket was off...somewhere in the front seat, and she was undoing the buttons of her top. Fuck buttons! I peeled off my damp leather jacket and slung it into the front seat. I ripped off my shirt and tossed it where my jacket had landed...she was still working on the buttons. Fucking button inventor; you stupid fuck. Before she was done I assaulted her neck full out. I kissed and licked down every inch of her creamy, white skin and made my way down to her exposed breasts. She sighed, her hands beginning to tremble on the buttons. I helped her out. I ripped the last two buttons off the damn shirt and tossed it into the front seat.

"Don't you ever wear a shirt with buttons again," I told her, attacking her lips. She whimpered and nodded her head against mine. Her tongue pressed so deep into my mouth it was almost going down my throat; it was sexy as fuck. I groaned loudly, need and want and love filling my mouth. I kissed her back roughly because I knew she liked it. Her fingers went to my belt and started to undo it. I quivered...but fuck this wasn't going to happen. Well stuff _could _happen; just not what I wanted most. I felt like tonight was going to be something special...with the emotions we were feeling right now. I knew that it would be more than just fucking. Even before with us it had been more driven by hormones than anything else. But now, this right now; it was driven by pure love. If we could...we would be making love and not just fucking each other like the horny teenagers that we were. I broke our kiss.

"I don't...shit this sucks," I said, growling. She kissed my cheek a few times, breathing heavily. She pulled away and smiled at me.

"Oh how you underestimate me Cullen," she said, biting down on her bottom lip. Right now she looked like sex. I lunged at her and bit her bottom lip, taking it fully into my mouth. God damn tease...how I love you. She pulled away this time and threw herself over the console. She rummaged around...for what I had no fucking clue. She returned to me a second later with a tiny, red square in her hand. My mouth instinctively curled into a grin, how the fuck did she get one of those?

"Isabella," I said, shaking my head slightly. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Well," she began, scooting closer to me, sliding her hands under my ass. I lifted up and she tugged down my jeans; I hadn't even realized she had gotten them undone all the way. "I acquired this from Alice," she continued, removing my shoes and tossing my pants into the front seat once they were off. "I thought tonight would be fun. Well I had been proven horribly wrong...but...Edward. What you did before. That had to be the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me...ever. And I want you right now, and always; no matter how fucking pissed I might be at you right now."

I didn't know what to say. That had been my intention; to show her how much I loved her. It was supposed to be romantic.

"If you ever say that I don't love you ever again Bella I swear to god," I warned through clenched teeth. "You don't know how much that hurt." She bit her lip.

"I'm sorry. But you have no idea how just...Edward I was – am – mad. I was trying to hurt you just as much as I was. I know it was childish, but you hurt me worse than that."

"And you have no idea how sorry I am...for everything," I told her, kissing her on the nose. She smiled a little in response, bringing her hand to my exposed thigh. Oh how the skin to skin contact made my dick twitch.

"Mmm," she said, stroking my leg in slow, painful movements. She was taunting me now; still a form of cruelty. I couldn't take this right now. I just needed her, all of her. I gripped her waist tightly and brought her forward to me more. I swiftly undid her jeans in all of about point-two seconds and began pulling them off. It took me a minute because they were tight as fuck, but when they were off – along with her shoes – they were sent into the front seat. Where else would they have gone? I quickly and expertly removed her bra, earning a quiet whimper from Bella. She took it upon herself to remove her own panties and I salivated at the sight. I didn't hesitate to nearly rip my boxers off my body, exposing my throbbing erection to the cold air of the car. She smiled up at me and pushed me back, against the piercing cold of the car window. I flinched at the feeling but rested against it. She trailed her finger from my chin down...down...down. Her whole body was twisted towards me and she began lowering her head. Oh god. She smirked up at me through her lashes when she was inches away from my dick. And then...just like that, she opened her wet, hot mouth and wrapped it around me, taking me full into her mouth. It was the best fucking feeling, ever. I can't believe I didn't remember this.

"Fuck," I said, whimpering at the same time. This made her speed up and oh dear god. I felt like I was high; it was euphoric. Holy shit. My fingers found themselves in her hair, gently massaging the top of her head. I found that I was beginning to rub circles onto her scalp; wishing I was rubbing them somewhere else. I opened the eyes that I hadn't even realized had been closed and almost wanted to come at the sight of her doing this to me. She kept going for a few minutes sucking and licking and swirling...

She made one last sweep of her tongue on my tip and I was out of her mouth. She kissed all along my hip and my abs and my chest and my neck; until she reached my mouth. I gripped her ass and pulled her up, shoving my tongue deep into her mouth. She accepted it very willingly. She moaned softly and her fingernails dug into my thighs where she was supporting herself. I pulled her up more, so she was straddling me as best she could. One knee of hers was against the leather backseat, and the other knee was pressed to the floor of the car. I lifted her ass, keeping the searing kiss in tact, and lowered her down onto me. A shudder rippled through her entire body once I was inside of her and she kissed me that much more passionately. This was it. With the help of my hands, she slowly moved herself up and down, trying not to hit her head on the roof of the car. And our kiss was rarely broken the entire time.

So that was it. Bella and I made love; actually made love. And it was better than any fuck any one could ever experience. There just wasn't the same heat and passion like there was with this. This was pure love filtered into the form of sex; which felt more fantastic than words can describe. After we both settled down from our intense orgasms, we just lied there; sweating and panting in the backseat of the Volvo. Okay, that was the only thing not romantic about this whole deal; that we had made love in the backseat of my car. But right now I didn't really care. I was just, I was great. Bella and I weren't the greatest right now...but at least now she knew everything. She removed her fingers that were absently running through my hair and slapped her hand against the cold, fogged up window. She dragged her hand down, leaving distinct finger lines on the window. She giggled when she took her hand away.

"Sort of like in Titanic," she said, putting her probably wet and cold hand to her chest. I smiled down at her, my head resting on my hand that was propped up by my elbow.

"Nuh uh," I said, shaking my head a little. "Those two don't have shit on us." She smiled at me, a real smile, and kissed me on the lips. Oh so soft. "It's true," I told her once she released me from her mouth. She laughed a little and sat up, the leather squeaking from her bare ass sliding against the seat.

"I think we should get going," she told me, reaching into the front seat. She had her bra in hand and slid it onto her arms. She reached behind and clasped it shut like a fucking expert and turned around to face me.

"How come? Can't we just stay for a bit?" I asked, probably pushing my luck with her right now. I know she was still mad at me. I guess I should let her cool down and talk this over with her tomorrow.

"Edward," she said in her 'stern Bella' voice. "You know I'm still mad...minus all the sex. So can you please take me home? I need to not be with you for a while...and just...be. I need to think." My stomach gave a little lurch. But...I thought she told me that she wanted to be with me. What did she need to think about? She couldn't leave me?

"About what? You told me...Bella. Don't take it back now. Please don't leave me," I told her, scrambling around to sit on my ass. The leather squeaked like mad and I was in a sitting position with her right in front of me. She was staring at me with slightly furrowed brows and had a pained expression on her face.

"Edward...I'm not going to leave you. I can't. Even if I did I would be miserable for eternity," she said, rubbing my left arm up and down. The bruise that Emmett managed to beat onto my arm was still visible. "But I need to think about all of this...without being around you. I believe you in saying that you love me; I believe you. I just need to find a way to trust you again."

"I –" I said, not knowing what to say to this. Well she was right. I had betrayed her trust to the utmost. "I suppose that is fair. Is there anything I can do?"

"Well...you could just be honest and truthful with me all the time. No more lies, Edward. I'm done with the lying."

"Okay, I promise. That ones a done deal. No lying. And I can be truthful. Here goes: when I was four I wet the bed quite frequently. I used to shove peas and macaroni up my nose. When I was one my uncle shoved a piece of birthday cake into my face and I cried like the baby I was – it's all on tape. In third grade I think I got high from sniffing glue. When I was fourteen Emmett and I snuck up the Forks water tower and engraved a bunch of shit on the side of it for fun. At Junior Prom I broke one of the stereos...don't ask. Last year I graduated with the highest grade in my year. My big number that I was for some reason all scared to tell you is six...you included. Three weeks ago I met the smartest, funniest, cutest, sexiest girl I had ever met in my life. About a week later I realized that I was madly in love with her, and somehow, she managed to love me back. And then I did the stupidest thing known to my existence; I decided not to tell her about my fucked up, deranged past. Which, by the way, was a big mistake? I finally grew big enough balls to tell her the truth and you know what? Because she's so perfect and amazing, she actually still loves me. She knows that what we have is too special and precious to give up. So she is willing to sacrifice her beliefs of ditching an asshole who betrays her...because she knows that nothing will ever be this good again."

I finished the longest speech in the history of Edward Cullen and Bella stared at me with an awed expression. I just told her a much summed up history of my life, but at least I told her. After she was done soaking up every bit of information I told her, she smiled at me.

"Wow...that's a lot," she told me, relief washing over her face. I had to give her something. "Thanks for telling me all of that," she said, leaning in to kiss me on the mouth. "I know...I _think_ I can trust you Edward. I still think we should just spend a few days apart. I haven't gone one day without seeing you since I met you. I think it would be good for us to take a few days." My voice made a whiny noise. _Days _without seeing or being near Bella? She was trying to kill me. "Edward please. I _need _this. Do this for me." She said this when she heard my sounds of protest. I growled a tiny bit but nodded.

"Okay Bella. Whatever you need. It's yours."

"Thank you. And what I want right now is for you to take me home. I'm tired and I need to shower. I have grass probably somewhere, and I'm sticky with sweat." She pressed her fingers against her skin, listening to the faint noise it made when her fingers peeled off of her forearm.

"Let's go then," I told her, kissing her on the mouth one last time.

We got dressed at our own slow pace. Trying not to kick or punch each other as we put our clothes back on. It was difficult at times but we managed. I climbed out from the back and stretched my legs. The cold air felt so good against my hot skin. Bella stretched her little legs and arms next to me, her hair in complete disarray. She still looked gorgeous. She turned to meet my entranced face; I could rarely ever keep my eyes off her. I took a step towards her and grabbed her hand. I kissed the back of it gently, pouting my lips out. She smiled cutely and giggled.

"Come on Bella, let's get you home."

With that I walked her to the passenger door and played the part of the perfect gentleman. She appreciated my gesture and slipped in the car with a chaste kiss. I closed the door and was in the driver's seat within seconds. I peeled out of the parking lot, both ecstatic and regretting the fact that this night was coming to an end. I wouldn't see Bella for the next however many days. Maybe she would still allow me to call her? We were back at Berry in less than fifteen minutes and I grudgingly walked her up the stairs and back to her room. It was almost nine-thirty by the time we were standing in front of her door. But I didn't want to leave her just yet.

"Can I come in for a little bit?" I asked, snaking my arms around her waist. I gave her my puppy dog eyes because I really just wanted to be with her. She frowned a tiny bit and pouted her bottom lip.

"Edward...I don't think it's such a good idea. I mean you broke one of the Deadly Sins," she said, quirking an eyebrow. She laughed a little bit to herself because I had no idea what the fuck she was talking about, and she kissed me on the nose.

"Deadly Sin?" I asked, grumpy now. These next few days weren't going to be pretty.

"You are in full violation of Alice Deadly Sin number seven...the worst one – lying. And violating one of them does not go unpunished. So you'd better not come in right now. Let Alice beat your ass later," she said, smiling a tiny bit. Oh shit. I had never even though about what Alice would think of me. So how great is it that she despises people who lie? Could I have dug myself a deeper hole? Probably, but I'm glad I didn't.

"Fine. So...I mean when will I see you next?" I asked, fingering the edge of her coat. She shrugged in my arms.

"Just a few days. Maybe Friday. I need some time alone Edward," she said to me. I nodded. I could respect that.

"I know Bella. I just wanted to know. I'll see you later," I told her, kissing her lightly on the lips. I pulled away too quickly for either of our liking, and gave her a big hug. Her tiny arms wrapped around my neck and squeezed tight. I sighed, dreading letting her go; but desperately needing to. I released her from my grip and kissed her again, no tongue. I pulled away.

"Goodnight Bella," I said to her, beginning to retreat.

"Night Edward," she said; she looked stunned. I made my way down the hall, right before I turned the corner and I stopped. I turned back to Bella who was still standing there, staring at me.

"I love you," I called quietly down the hall. And that's what she was waiting for. She smiled at me and replied the same thing. She disappeared into her room and I continued to mine. I tried not to think about the next few days. I was sure that I could find enough homework to occupy my time. But Bella had been right. Since we had met we had seen each other every day. And she needed her space. So if space is what she wanted, space is what I would give.

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A/N:

So I think that everyone should listen to Inevitable by Anberlin...obviously my inspiration for this chapter...and lyrics from this song is where I got the title of this fanfic from. So listen! Great song.

And the song that Jasper plays...Everlong by the Foo Fighters – also a great song.

Let me know what you think!


	20. Proposal

**A/N: **Okay! So I'm really sorry for taking a few days for this update. Exam's suck hardcore.

But they are unfortunately more important than this at the moment.

And this chapter is probably my longest chapter yet. Enjoy!

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B.P.O.V

My eyes fluttered open abruptly to Alice's annoying alarm. I groaned. Today was Wednesday. And my week was not going well. I couldn't stop being cranky; and being cranky was getting all too tiring. But Edward was giving me space, just like he promised. He hadn't even tried to contact me at all yesterday, which worked out well for me...I think.

I couldn't believe he had lied to me about something so...stupid? I mean he actually thought I would care that he used to drink a lot when he was in his junior year? I would have thought...I don't know what I would have thought. It's not even a big deal; it's in the past. But he had to go think it was this big monumental fuck up and lie to me about it. Sometimes boys can be some kind of stupid. I was just so....mad. But no matter how mad I was at him I still loved him. And he told me that he loved me; that it wasn't a lie. And I believed him...and I trusted him; I did. I trusted him with everything I had in me. And I missed him; which is what I wanted. I had been around him too much lately. And after this I just needed space...I _needed _to miss him. It's always good to miss someone. How's that saying go? Distance makes the heart grow fonder? Well right now I did miss him because I wasn't with him.

"Bella, are you awake?" Alice asked, nudging my shoulder. I made an angry sound come from the back of my throat. This whole not being with Edward thing was definitely making me turn into the least cheerful of the Seven Dwarfs – Grumpy.

"Yes I'm awake," I snapped at her, throwing the covers off of me. I turned to face her and she was shaking her little head at me and walking to her closet. "What?" I challenged, stretching my limbs. She laughed.

"Bella you're being such an idiot," she told me, like I should already know this.

"What do you mean?" I asked, annoyed. She was so cryptic and vague sometimes, like I was. I guess we rubbed off on each other.

"You are being so miserable not seeing Edward. Just get over yourself and go see him. You're pissing me off moping around here all day," she said, placing a hand on her hip.

"I'm not...miserable," I lied. She knew I was – and so did I. I honestly hated not being with him, it sucked. She scoffed at my response.

"Ha! Bella, seriously. Listen I know what he did was stupid and he should have just told you. But he didn't, and you still love him despite all that. And I know it's a Sin to do that...but hell...I'm not even really mad at him." My eyes widened at her. She, Mary Alice Brandon, the hater of all liars...wasn't mad at Edward?

"Whoa Alice...you aren't mad at him?" I asked, fucking astounded. She shrugged a tiny bit.

"Not really...I mean...Okay Bella look. You have to see both sides here. Yes he lied about his past, but he did it because he didn't want you to think he was anything less than what you thought he was. He couldn't let you see that side of him. And that I totally understand. Do you have any idea how much that boy loves you?" She asked, cocking her perfectly sculpted eyebrow. _Yes I know! Everyone and their mother have told me! _

"I've been told repeatedly..." I informed her. She shook her head at me.

"Then what the fuck are you doing? When will you get it through your thick skull that he really loves you...enough to do something stupid and irrational?" I couldn't help but laugh at her a little. Thick skull? Bella Swan? No...never. "And listen...I know you're not stupid Bella, but this isn't helping anything. You know you want to be with him. You're just making yourself all unhappy for nothing. And Edward's going just as stir crazy as you." I smiled at this thought. I knew we'd both miss each other...but it was a lot more painful than I anticipated.

"Okay fine! You win...I'll see him," I agreed, making it sound like it was something that I didn't really want to do. But in reality, it couldn't have been more of the opposite.

"Yeah...like you don't want to," Alice mumbled, probably to herself. She turned around and grabbed her red towel from her closet. I smiled widely at the prospect of seeing Edward later and got up. I grabbed my towel and shampoo and toothbrush and headed out the door with Alice to the bathroom. Showering made me that much more cheerful. Today was going to be a good day.

I suddenly realized how much I wanted to see him. Everything he said to me the last time I saw him had been...just the most romantic things anyone had ever said to me before. And in that moment...no matter how mad I had been, I just needed him; all of him. He sang my absolute favourite Anberlin song...picking all the right parts that would grab my attention. And the part about the last first kiss nearly broke my heart it was so adorable. Then when he told me everything about him I was overwhelmed; it was nice to hear all of those things about him. And then he went on about me; and I wanted to cry and jump on him all over again. Because everything he told me...about nothing ever being as good as what we had; I knew it was as true as the fact that the grass is green. Nothing would ever compare to what I have with Edward. I just never ever felt the electricity, which now I know he felt too. And he made me feel like the only person in the world when I was with him – also something I never felt with anyone else.

So...sure I was mad for his stupid brain working the way it does...but it doesn't change anything. He's still Edward, and I'm still Bella...and I still love him with all my heart and soul. And nothing will ever change this fact; it's for life. I smiled at myself again, brushing through my long, damp hair. I had been whistling the entire time I was getting ready to that song he had been singing to me. I was practically buzzing I was so excited. I don't know why I did this to myself in the first place. What did I think would happen? I'd enjoy all the time apart. Ha. I laughed at myself. Alice helped me with my hair and soon we were both singing to an All-American Rejects song. Now everything was right. Alice and I were both finally happy with our lives – for once everything was perfect.

We were both ready within the span of an hour and we took off to get breakfast. Commons wasn't as busy as it usually was because it was close to the crack of dawn...well at least that's what quarter to ten felt like to me. Alice and I both got cereal, feeling like we were kids again. Art history passed by quickly, the prof showing numerous slides of interesting paintings and sculptures; I was actually really enjoying the class. Alice and I parted after it was over because I had to literally run to my film studies class. Good thing I was more coordinated lately than I usually was. I waited in the mass of people going into the lecture hall, anxiously wanting to be in my next class; longer genres...my class with Edward. The only thing that kept me going through my film studies class was the fact that I was going to see Edward in forty-five minutes...thirty-two minutes...sixteen minutes...

It was a little sad but I missed him and wanted to see him. I nearly ran to the next lecture hall, careful not to trip over my own two clumsy feet. The crowd of people was growing and I searched avidly for the familiar crop of bronze hair that I wanted to see so badly. I was scanning for a minute before I found him; he was standing near the very front, against a locker, looking at the ground. He had his ear buds in and was trying to stop himself from bobbing his head to the tune. I knew he loved to do that, but he thought it was embarrassing in public. My smile grew wide and I made my way through the sea of people to get to him. He never looked up from his fixated gaze on the ground once...he really was trying to give me my space. He even planned on staying away from me during the class we had together. My heart swelled at how perfect he was. Sure he had his own little flaws, but they made me love him even more. He was perfect for _me. _I finally made it to him and shuffled down the lockers. I assumed he saw something out of the corner of his eye and his eyes flickered to me. He did one of those double take type of things...I knew he wasn't expecting me to do this. I walked right up to him, taking the ear bud out of his ear. His face was a little bit shocked, but he smiled at me nonetheless.

"Hi," I said to him, taking the hand that was hanging at his side. He happily laced his fingers with mine and pulled me close to him.

"What...I mean...I thought you said Friday?" He said, hugging me to his chest. Yeah...like he cared that I was early.

"Are you complaining?" I asked, pulling my face away to look at his. He let out a quiet chuckle.

"Hell no I'm not. I just wanted to know why I guess," he replied, kissing the top of my head. God how I had missed all of this. I really had to be out of mind thinking that this would have been a good idea. I mean staying away from him was ridiculous...insane even.

"It just wasn't a good idea. And Alice wanted to kill me for being so miserable," I told him, laughing to myself. His one arm wrapped around my shoulder now and he kept me close to him.

"I know. Jasper said I was the saddest son of a bitch he had ever seen. Bella it's really pathetic how much I just...need to be around you," he said, brushing my hair off my shoulder. If he was pathetic than I was the same way.

"Don't worry; I feel the same. But Alice made a good point. I mean...what's the use in not seeing each other? It's only going to hurt us more. So I decided it was a stupid idea." I watched his face break out into a grin again. I stood up on my tip toes and kissed that familiar beautiful grin. He kissed back, holding the back of my head so I was as to close to his face as I could get. My insides melted and my heart rate increased. It was like I had never kissed him before in my life. He pulled away after a minute because we still had a class to go to.

"I'm so glad that you rethought this whole time apart thing. It was...not a good idea." He shook his head. "And you know...I'm really sorry. I just – I can't –" He was struggling to find his words.

"I know...Edward its okay. I was mad...but I realized that there's no point. No matter what I'll still love you and doing this is just making the both of us miserable."

"I love you too." Was his response. He kissed me again before continuing.

"Oh and I called my parents yesterday. They're cool with me going to Phoenix with you. But they do want to meet you over the Christmas break," Edward said, like it was no big deal. Meeting the parents. Yikes. Was I going to be a wreck that day.

"Uh, yeah, okay. That's good." I suddenly became all nervous even though the Christmas break was still two months away.

"Bella you have nothing to worry about. They're going to love you; trust me." He said this to me staring me deep in the eyes. The blazing emeralds never lied to me. I nodded at him and bit my lip, thinking about December.

"I've just never met a boyfriend's parents before. Well I mean...I've never been introduced to anyone's parents as a girlfriend," I told him.

"Well I don't think you could be more nervous than I was to meet your dad. I thought I was going to throw up...and look how that turned out. He fucking hugged me," he said, shivering a tiny bit. That had been a shocker to us all. I just laughed...that day Edward had been nervous as hell.

"Okay...I guess you have a point." I caved. I knew he wouldn't let me get all worked up over meeting his parents. They seemed like really nice people anyways. He chuckled and began leading me into the lecture hall that was starting to fill up.

If I had a gun pointed at my head and someone asked me what the prof had been talking about during the lecture...I would have been dead for sure. I paid attention to nothing he said the entire time – I was too distracted by Edward.

"That was...insightful," Edward said as the lecture hall lights turned back on. My eyes had to adjust to the now bright lights and it made me sleepy.

"Yeah. Real interesting," I agreed, nudging his shoulder. He smiled that perfect crooked smile at me and stood up, stretching his long legs in the process. I followed suit, stretching my arms as well.

"Want to go get lunch or something?" Edward asked me, hope in his voice. Maybe he thought I was going to reconsider my choice of seeing him earlier than I anticipated. Oh how I loved him.

"Uh, yeah maybe. But I have another class in like an hour. So it can't be for long," I told him, pouting my lips out. Damn you culture studies. He grumbled to himself, picking my book bag up off the floor and sliding it onto my shoulder – the butterflies went crazy. My body was going insane today. The butterflies hadn't fluttered in ages because I was used to being with Edward all the time. But now that I hadn't been in his presence for a day all of his usual sweet tendencies were making me weak in the knees; like he had never done any of this for me before. It was refreshing, like we were just starting to date all over again.

"Alright," he finally said, watching me process my newfound emotions. "Are you okay?" He then asked, furrowing his brows. I snapped out of this...I don't know what it was, and nodded my head. I secured the book bag on my shoulder more while he picked his own up. I turned and headed out of the lecture hall with the rest of the class and with Edward somewhere behind me. When we were out of the hall we headed to the student centre. I was upset that I didn't get to spend a lot of time with Edward...but I resolved that I would see him later and everything would be just fine and dandy then. We ate content in being with each other again. It was comfortable, normal – like breathing. If I was being honest with myself I was still a little ticked at him for being so utterly stupid when he was so obviously smart. But every time my anger worked itself up it was talked down by Alice's argument.

I guess it's true...love makes you do crazy things.

---

Later after class Edward and I were tangled up in each other on my bed. We were snuggled underneath the covers watching one of my favourite movies of all time – _The Breakfast Club. _It was nearly over and I never tired of watching it. I could easily recite most of the words but I didn't want Edward to think that I was a pathetic loser, reciting all the words to a movie. The glorious ending to the movie, when Anthony Michael Hall's character reads his epic 'essay' is most likely one of my favourite parts in the entire movie. It always made me smile because all of these unlikely characters of different backgrounds somehow became friends one Saturday morning in detention. And because of this, they were all in their own way very alike and very unique – which is why I loved the movie so much in the first place. Exactly in time with the line "Sincerely yours, The Breakfast Club" my phone went off, vibrating like mad on my desk. It jolted me a little because I had been so relaxed and at ease in Edward's arms – so I shot up off the bed, my heart racing. I laughed at myself for being so touchy and picked the phone up, recognizing the name on the caller ID before I put the phone to my ear. What was with parents calling lately?

"Hey dad," I said into the receiver.

"Hey there Bells. How are you hun? How is everything...you know what I mean." Despite the fact he was asking me about my injuries he sounded unusually upbeat.

"I'm great actually. I got the stitches out Monday. Alice took me early in the day. Doctor said everything's good." Charlie sighed on the other end of the line. I shifted back over to Edward and lied comfortably against his chest.

"That's great Bella, I'm happy you're getting over this so well. I'm proud of you." My heart swelled. Charlie was such a sweetheart all the time. I mean he was my dad, he was sort of obligated to say shit like that to me...but he had never told me he was so proud of me.

"Aw dad thanks," I said, trying to hold back my tears. I was so emotional lately. Edward lightly traced a line up and down my arm, sending goose bumps to every exposed surface of my skin. "Oh and dad, I hope you don't get upset but mom asked if I would go visit her over the Thanksgiving holiday." I hoped he wasn't upset with this fact; but I missed Renee terribly after talking to her the other day. Charlie instantly protested like I knew he would.

"Oh Bella!" Charlie exclaimed, huffing into the phone. Okay...maybe I got an equal amount of stubbornness from both my parents. "I was hoping...I mean. I suppose that's fine, you haven't seen Renee in months," Charlie said, giving up his short rant. "I just wanted you home with us to celebrate," he then said. Celebrate? What are we celebrating? I furrowed my brows and turned my face to Edward. He raised his brows, wondering what the hell I was doing.

"Celebrate what dad?" I asked, my heart rate starting to quicken. Charlie had sounded almost too happy on the phone before and now we were celebrating – it was something good.

"Well Bells...I wanted to tell you before what I was planning, but I wanted it to be a surprise to everyone. And well I finally did it last night!" Charlie exclaimed, laughing into the phone. What? What had he done? I see now that this cryptic shit pissed people off – I made a mental note not to do that anymore.

"Did what dad?" I asked, sounding much too eager. I just really wanted to know, and he was building my anticipation to a great degree. He laughed into the phone more and when he stopped he answered.

"I asked Sue to marry me," he said, sounding like the luckiest man in the world. My heart was racing now and my stomach was in knots; they were of happiness, not of tension or nervousness. I nearly squealed I was so happy for him. He deserved it after what my mother had done to him.

"Oh dad! You're engaged! That's great!" I said, sitting up now. This was great news...and definitely something that needed to be celebrated. But I had told Renee I was already going to Phoenix, and I didn't really want to disappoint her.

"I know. I'm so happy Bella," he then said. My eyes welled up with tears. My dad never really talked much about his feelings to me. We were pretty close, we spent a lot of time together because we were so much alike, but we never talked about our feelings. When he had been talking about Sue when he was here it was a little odd...because he had never really done anything like that before. But it all makes sense now; he was planning on proposing to her the whole time. A tear spilled over and ran down my face; I was so happy for him.

"I'm glad that you're finally happy dad. When's the wedding? Have you guys set a date yet?" I asked, looking forward to this wedding, as opposed to my mothers.

"Well Sue hasn't really had that much time to think about it yet, but she says she doesn't need something big and extravagant. We might just get married down on the reserve or here in Forks. Something small, just a few friends and family. She said maybe in the late spring."

I smiled at the prospect of my father's wedding. But all of this seemed highly surreal to me for some reason. It was just...not out of the blue...just sort of surreal. I never really pegged Charlie down as one to remarry. But I knew that he loved Sue a lot, and I should have known that he would eventually want to get married to her. They had both been married before, so they both knew what they were getting themselves into.

"That's great dad. I wish I could come home for the Thanksgiving break and celebrate. But I promised mom already...I'm really sorry," I said, wiping the silly lone tear from my face.

"Oh nonsense. I understand completely. We'll just have to do that when you come home for the Christmas break," he said, sounding upbeat again.

"Alright dad, that sounds good," I said, smiling a great, wide smile. "But listen, I have to go now."

"Okay hun. Be safe and enjoy Phoenix. I'll call you sometime around Thanksgiving." I frowned at the fact that I would have to wait two months to see Charlie again...but that's what living away from home brings with it – missing home.

"Love you," I said, my smile fading.

"Love you too," Charlie replied. I hung up the phone and set it back down on the desk. I turned back to Edward who had remained silent through the whole conversation, like the sweetheart he was.

"So you're dad's getting married?" Edward asked, opening his arms. I nuzzled into him and inhaled his delicious scent that was so fitting to him and him alone.

"Yeah. He apparently proposed to her last night. The wedding is in the spring sometime," I told him, turning my face to meet his. His face was serene, peaceful. He grinned a tiny bit, but mostly he seemed happy, much like I was.

"That's awesome; I'm glad Charlie's happy," Edward said, tightening his grip on me. His penetrating eyes met mine and he held my gaze, not breaking it even to blink – it was intense. He began to lift me up, to his face. He finally broke the intense gaze and gently pressed his lips to mine, intense feelings seeping into my mouth from this kiss. At the lake when we had kissed it had been powerful and meaningful and passionate, and this kiss was exactly the same. I knotted my fingers in his hair and he held me tighter. We parted after a minute and I was panting, gasping for breath. He smiled at me and lightly brushed his fingers through my hair now.

"Bella would you marry me some day?" He asked, absently stroking my hair. My breathing caught. My heart beat rapidly in my chest. I had thought about spending my life with Edward...but somehow in the process never thought about the technicalities of it all – never thought about actually getting married to him. But of course I would marry him some day. I wanted him forever. His loving eyes were boring into mine, emotion flooding into every inch of my body. I nearly cried. I needed to stop being such a baby at everything that happened in my life. I bit my lip and tried to hold back my tears. I nodded.

"Of course I'd marry you some day Edward," I told him, resting my head against his shoulder. I kept my eyes on his and they lit up. It was like this was everything he had ever wanted to hear, he was smiling from ear to ear. He kissed me square in the middle of the forehead and sighed.

"I love you," he said, keeping his lips lightly against my skin. He made me physically weak sometimes.

"I love you too," I replied, trying to keep my shaking to a bear minimum. He cradled me lovingly in his arms and we just sat there for what seemed like an hour, just being with each other. I repeatedly smiled against his chest as I thought about spending the rest of my life being like this; being this god damn happy.

Sure Edward and I would have our little arguments and disagreements. We'd fight, we may even yell at each other...but it would never _ever _mean that we didn't love each other. And I realized with a sudden fury that anything that was hurled at us, anything bad that came our way, we would be able to face it together – no matter how bad. We would stick by each other and support each other because we both knew that we would never stop loving each other. That's just the way it was now – and nothing would ever change this cold, hard fact.

I, Isabella Marie Swan, love Edward Cullen with all my heart. He is my Prince Charming, the one I had to go through hell through to find. I kissed a few frogs before I found my prince, but all that mattered was that he was here now. And some day I would marry him, and although right now the thought of giving birth almost scared me, I knew that some day I would have his children too. It was right around the idea of having his kids that I heard the deep, lulling sounds of his soothing snoring. He always snored a tiny bit, but not so much that it was at all annoying or kept me awake; it actually helped to put me to sleep. So with Edward's nearly melodic snores I allowed my eyes to shut, pleased with my decision to see him before Friday. I thought punishing him and giving myself time to think was a good idea that would help us both. But it turns out that punishing Edward by not seeing me was also punishing myself; I was so stupid.

Well at least we both had a lot of things in common – we were the perfect match.

**E.P.O.V**

The month and a half that followed Charlie's phone call to Bella passed by in a blur. A great big blur of me and Bella and Alice and Jasper and Emmett and Rose and school and homework and happiness and laughter and just pure greatness. Everything leading up to the Thanksgiving break was so fucking perfect that it felt like I was living in some surreal fantasy world, where my every dream was falling into place, coming true. I would spend my days obviously attending classes, doing assignments and trying my best to keep my grades up. And then my evenings and weekends were eternally reserved for my Bella, and my friends that I had so happily made over the last two months. Jasper and Alice were still going strong, much like Bella and I, and I had a sneaking suspicion that they had a similar connection that we had. I could see in both of them that they were changed by each other, for the better. And since I had met Bella I had changed, and this again was for the better.

And I hoped that Bella felt the same way; which I was pretty sure she did. Everything after my confession had been going so much better than I had hoped. Nobody was mad anymore, with the exception of Rose. She sometimes got a little pissed at me for being so fucking retarded, but she couldn't stay mad for long – she loved me too much. She was like the big sister I never had, and the perfect person for Emmett. They were almost polar opposites, but they attracted to each other like fucking magnets. They were exactly what the other needed. It was odd...how we three couples worked. On the one hand you had Emmett and Rose – the polar opposites. On the other you had Alice and Jazz – who were alike in many respects, but also different in others. And then you had me and Bella – who were so alike sometimes it was almost scary. We both had the same taste in music, both enjoyed to sing and nod our heads to music when we really shouldn't, liked a lot of the same movies, sometimes finished each other's sentences and best of all we knew what to do to keep each other happy. If Bella had a particularly bad day she usually was a little grumpy, and wouldn't really want to talk. And when this happened I knew that I had to either play her a familiar favourite tune, or throw on her favourite movie and just hold her to me, wait for her to calm her mood and finally warm up to me.

It never took her long when she was upset or flustered to return to being happy again because I knew the things that made her the happiest. These were the things that a boyfriend should do...not stupid things like lying. _This _is why the last month and a half had been so great. Because now Bella and I were finally good. We were on track. And we were together still, despite my fucking stupid irrational behaviour.

"Hey you," Bella said to me, snapping me out of the incredibly lengthy daze I had found myself in. I was sprawled out on her bed, my eyes fixed on the ceiling. The cold air of her dorm room was almost stinging at my bare chest – she had already turned the heat off.

"Hello to you," I said, sitting up to look at her. She had just put her underwear and bra back on, and she sat down on the edge of the bed. I could see the faint pink scar gleaming from the middle of her left thigh...a lifetime reminder of what had happened to her – but she had been strong these past months. She still had nightmares sometimes, but they were becoming much less frequent. I had somehow managed to get my boxers back on...with my knees being like putty and all. Alice and Jasper had left yesterday for Texas, he was nervous as fuck for her to meet his family. But come on...it was Alice. If there was any girl in the history of meeting parents that was ready it was her – she had an energy about her that any parent would absolutely adore. Anyways...since they had left yesterday we were all alone – enough said. We were enjoying the alone time; to say the least. Although we had been up most of the night, only going to sleep four hours ago, we woke up and just couldn't keep our hands off each other. For me though it was the fact that we would be spending the next week at her mothers place, at which we would be able to have little time to ourselves.

"I think we should just stay here. I could get used to this," Bella said, laughing. I laughed too, because yes...it did seem fucking heavenly to stay like this for a whole week. But we both knew she was joking, she was all too excited to see her mom again.

"First of all your mom would be upset if you didn't show...and second I don't think I could do this for a whole week," I said to her smiling. She grinned back and kissed me on the chest.

"Would you like to test that theory?" She asked from my abdomen now, raising a sexy eyebrow at me. If she wasn't careful we would literally never make it to Phoenix.

"Bella," I warned. She knew that tone. She bit her lip and got up off the bed, finding a clean pair of pants in her closet.

"I know Edward. You're warning me...we need to see my mom. Blah, blah, blah." I chuckled at her. "I'm just kidding," she then said. She pulled on her jeans and I got up, deciding that getting dressed was a good idea. We needed to leave soon if we wanted to make it to Phoenix on time. I nearly fell when I stood, I was so weak in the knees it was almost not even funny. God the things that Bella did to me...

I sat back down on the bed and closed my eyes, trying to figure out how to fucking walk again. I stood after a minute and moved to my already packed bag that was by Bella's desk. We had decided to pack our things last night so we wouldn't be scrambling in the morning to get everything ready. I grabbed the jeans that were haphazardly thrown on top of the bag and pulled them on, holding onto the desk for support. Apparently our little sex marathon was taking its toll on my legs – they felt like they were giving out on me. I got my jeans on successfully without falling down and pulled my Beatles T-shirt over my head, flattening my unruly hair in the process. I heard Bella laugh quietly from behind me. I turned around to find her standing near her closet wearing simple jeans and her cute yellow sweater. Her hair was just as messy as mine, probably messier, because mine always looked like this. She was covering her mouth and still laughing at me.

"What?" I challenged, trying my best to turn to face her. I was also dangerously teetering while I was attempting to put my socks on. She laughed harder.

"Are you having some troubles?" She asked in between her hysterical giggles. I couldn't help but laugh back, and it was this that sent me to the floor – finally. I had successfully gotten one sock on and I held the other in my hand. I rested my head against the floor and looked backwards to find Bella crouching down next to me.

"I don't think I can walk," I confessed, swatting at a lock of her hair like a cat would swat at a piece of string. She bit her lip, which looked kind of funny upside down, and she bent down further to kiss me. I had oddly enough never kissed anyone upside down before. It was interesting, and it reminded me of Spider-man; when he saves Mary-Jane from the muggers...that perfect kiss in the rain. Bella pulled away after a minute or two, and my breathing was hard and ragged.

"I still have my crutches if you need them," she said to me, trying to hold back more laughter. I shook my head at her and wanted to tickle her so badly. But...I knew all too well where that _would _most definitely lead, and we really needed to be going.

"You think you're so funny don't you?" I asked, sitting up and twisting my back to see her retreating to her closet. She held her hands up in front of her because she knew exactly what I wanted to do, but when she saw that I wasn't getting up she dropped her arms to her side.

"I try," she said cutely, slipping on her yellow Vans that matched her sweater. I got up and stuffed the few scattered objects in my bag before I zipped it up. We were both ready to go in less than fifteen minutes and I was both looking forward to and loathing this three day trip to Phoenix. We could probably do the trip in less than two days, but that would require both of us driving like mad and barely sleeping at all...which was just fucking nuts. So we were planning on staying at a crappy motel the second night so that we didn't go completely insane being in the Volvo for hours on end.

We left Bella's room at ten to eight in the morning, with our heavy bags, ready for this promising road trip. I had insisted that she drive first because I would take over later tonight and drive through till the morning. I didn't feel comfortable with her driving in the middle of the night and she needed her sleep – I would much rather lose sleep than let her. So she was to drive first for about ten hours, which she was excited about. We had brought along several snacks and drinks so we wouldn't have to stop as frequently, and as soon as we got in the car I realized I was starving. I guess the previous night was taking a larger toll on me than I expected. I fucking inhaled nearly a whole box of pop-tarts as Bella pulled onto the interstate, heading in the direction we needed to go. We had Google maps'd the way to go...lest we be lost forever trying to get to Phoenix. The directions told us that it took a day and eighteen hours to get there, which seemed perfect in timing with our plans to get there.

For the first hour and a half of the trip we mostly talked about things that we always talked about; music, movies, books...anything that interested us really. Most times it didn't even really matter what Bella talked about, I just loved to hear her incredibly soothing voice; it was fucking hypnotic sometimes. We stopped after three hours for a much needed bathroom break. I was about ready to fucking explode and practically ran to the bathroom when we stopped. I had forgotten my legs were Jell-O today and nearly fell...oh for fuck's sake. Bella of course was laughing at me when I got back, and I told her to piss off and kissed her like I had never kissed her before. I knew she was feeling the same way, she was just somehow better at keeping her balance than me...which seemed odd; she was the one with the absolutely horrific coordination sometimes.

"Aw, my poor baby," Bella chided in her mocking voice. She cupped the side of my face in her hand and rubbed her thumb along my cheek. "I didn't think I could render any man crippled." I fixated my eyes on hers and her smile faded.

"You will only ever do that to me," I told her firmly. She was mine, all mine. She would only ever make me weak in the knees until the point where I couldn't fucking walk. She nodded her head vehemently at me, biting hard down on her lip. I probably sounded a bit too harsh with the lightness of our conversation, but I couldn't help it – I was extremely possessive of Bella. I didn't feel like she was something I owned, by any means, but she was only for me.

"Yes, Edward," Bella agreed, kissing me again on the lips. "Only you." I smiled against her mouth and bit at her lip. She smiled back and accepted the fact that I was partially joking with her – she still knew that I was serious as hell. She turned the car back on and began pulling onto the interstate again. I turned up the volume on the radio and switched the channel. Bella put my hand out to stop me.

"I like this song," she said to me, grinning. I listened intently to the song – it sounded familiar. "_Every single day. Every word you say. Every game you play. Every night you stay. I'll be watching you..." _

"_Oh can't you see," _Bella belted. I loved it when she sang. She wasn't the greatest but anything she did was amazing. "_You belong to me? How my poor heart aches, with every step you take." _She sang this part, glancing over to me every now and then. I smiled widely. Yes I did belong to her. Yes I did.

From then on we only stopped once more before Bella and I switched places. We got dinner at around seven and I drove from that point forward. She fell asleep around eleven; she was so damn tired from the night before, and I was becoming fucking worn out the more I kept trying to stay awake. At around midnight I stopped to get some sort of caffeine and the best I could find was coke – I got a fucking two litre thing of it. Bella slept through most of the night, I feared that she had a nightmare because she whimpered a tiny bit and was saying all sorts of things that would probably be connected in no way shape or form. She said my name for a while...and then went on about Renee and a stove? And then close to the morning is when she had her nightmare. She began shaking a tiny bit and furrowed her brows, lines on her forehead creasing her otherwise peaceful face. She mumbled a bunch of incoherencies when she got to her nightmare and I tried to calm her. I drove with one hand for a while and soothingly rubbed her arm up and down. It worked a little, but she was still whining, and I didn't want to wake her, she needed sleep.

I pulled into a rest stop at six in the morning and actually had to wake her up. Her whole face contorted when I lightly shook her awake. Her tired, squinted eyes stared back at me from the face that was pressed against her pillow. I must have looked like I was on the verge of sleep because she immediately became concerned.

"God Edward, what time is it?" She asked, rubbing her fists quickly over her eyes. I had been driving for about eleven hours...and I was fucking exhausted.

"Uh, six." My voice sounded almost hoarse because I hadn't said a word in nearly seven hours.

"You look like you're the walking dead. Why didn't you wake me up?" She scolded me. But she should know by now how stubborn I am.

"You needed sleep." It was a damn good enough reason for me. She rolled her eyes at me. She was wide awake now and getting upset at the fact that I was dead tired.

"Edward you know I wouldn't have minded. You are so damn stubborn sometimes!" She huffed and opened the door. I got out with her and shrugged.

"You and me both there sweetheart," I told her, struggling to keep my eyes open. Wow. The cold air of Illinois was stinging at my cheeks, I felt like it was going to snow. It simultaneously made me more awake and more tired. But now I was hungry. Luckily the rest stop had a twenty-four hour McDonalds...something I didn't particularly enjoy eating but ate it nonetheless because I was fucking starving. We got back in the car after Bella gave me a much needed good morning hug. She kissed me too because we had both had the sense to brush our teeth while we were stopped. We got back in the car and I took off my winter jacket, snuggling up to the thin blanket and Bella-smelling pillow that was in the passenger seat. As Bella pulled out of the rest stop I fell into a deep slumber...not even staying awake long enough for her to pull onto the highway completely.

---

I was awoken by Bella sometime later, and had no clue what the fuck time it was or where I was. I looked to the dash and it was just after three in the afternoon. I squinted out the windshield and it was snowing like crazy. My eyes burned at the brightness.

"Morning sleepy head," she said, resting her head against her seat. She looked tired again...this is why I was dreading this trip, because it would take its toll on the both of us. But I loved it because I was spending every minute of it with her.

"Morning," I replied, yawning. She grinned at me. I smiled back and leaned towards her for a kiss. Her soft, warm lips pressed against mine and her smooth, cold tongue penetrated into my mouth – it tasted of Sprite. It was delicious. I gave her back her mouth after a minute and noticed her Wendy's cup sitting in the cup holder. It was still half full. I took the straw into my mouth and gulped down the fizzy liquid at record speed, I was dying of thirst. She giggled at me.

"Are you hungry? I'm sorry I stopped for food but didn't want to wake you up, you looked so peaceful." She lovingly rubbed the back of my hand with her fingers.

"Actually I'm starving. Is there some place to get food here?" I asked, squinting out the passenger window. I could vaguely make out another McDonalds sign across the parking lot and didn't really care that it was McDonalds again...it was food. I shovelled an inhuman amount of food into my mouth and Bella just sat with me, curled up by my side, nodding off every now and then. She was so fucking cute. After I was done eating she stumbled her way back to the car as I helped her. The snow was stinging at my face and she was hiding her face in my jacket. When we were in we both peeled off our wet jackets and flung them into the backseat. I grabbed the directions and made sure I knew where I was before pulling back onto the interstate. It was nearly four now and I planned on stopping at a motel at around eleven. We both needed a comfortable bed to sleep in tonight to keep our sanity.

Two stops and nearly seven hours later I pulled into a cheap motel just inside of Arizona. It was fairly mild out now and all the snow that was on the car had long since melted away. Bella was still passed out beside me and to be honest I couldn't have been more wide awake. I shut off the car and took the liberty of checking us in before waking her up. She was nearly delirious when she woke up because she had forgotten we were staying the night. But when we were in the room with our bags she was as alert as I was. She dropped her bag to the ground and flung herself onto the perfectly made bed. She shifted around until she faced me and patted the mattress suggestively. She cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Care to join me?" She asked, using the exact same line I used on her months ago. I smiled. I walked over to the bed, dropping my bag and kicking off my shoes in the process. I held out my wrist for her and she yanked on it hard, and I pretended to fall to the mattress from her 'brute' strength. I landed on my back and she was on top of me in seconds, her lips mashed to mine. Our lips and tongues were moving together in sync for several minutes, and we were enjoying both the sensation of being alone and of being on a comfortable bed. I slowly began undressing her, with an idea other than sex in my mind, but equally as inviting. I slid her shirt and bra off of her and threw them to the floor. At this she had removed my shirt. I rolled over and forced myself on top of her – but I hopped up off the bed. I skipped to the bathroom – yes I fucking skipped – and turned on the hot water in the bath tub. Once it was sufficiently warm enough I turned the shower on; god knows we both needed a shower. And the thought of being naked in the shower with Bella was all too inviting. I walked to the door of the bathroom and she was sitting up on the bed, pulling off her jeans, smirking at me. I curled my forefinger at her, telling her to get her ass over here before I Hulked it out and snatched her up off the bed.

She complied, dancing over to me in nothing but her adorable little panties, adorned with a single strawberry on the front of them. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed all along my neck, sending a shiver through my fucking bones. She kissed all down my body, hastily undoing my pants. They pooled around my ankles and I stepped out of them, taking her underwear off as fast as I could. I picked her up, my fingers digging into her ass, and set her down in the now steamy shower. I followed in after her and the hot water stung my back, but it felt fucking fantastic. The nearly scalding water ran down my hair and trailed in a steamy line down my back. Bella was standing in front of me, in all her naked glory, taking me in. Her eyes raked me over three or four times before she demanded some water for herself. I switched with her and watched the water darken her hair and moisten her body. Watching her shower was...Words cannot explain watching her shower. My fucking hormones were flaring up like mad, and when she began soaping up I was shamelessly staring – and hard. It was so fucking erotic it was making me actually lust for her. When she was finished she allowed me the showerhead and I washed my hair, my stupid erection still there. I noticed her eyes kept going to it the entire time, and it made me smile.

When I was done I shut off the water and shook my hair out, pelting Bella with water. She laughed and blocked her face, her entire body soaked from head to toe – it was sexy. I stepped out, water dripping onto the floor, and snatched up the half a towel these fucking motels left for you. I dried myself off as best I could before proceeding to dry Bella off. She stepped out of the shower, her nearly black hair dripping all over the place. I wrapped her tiny towel around her body and dried her off. She wrung her hair out into the bath tub and turned to me when she was finished.

"All clean," she said, steam circling around us. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying my best to dry it. At her remark I grinned.

"It's a shame you won't stay that way for long," I told her, stepping closer to her. She pressed her back against the closed bathroom door and bit her lip – the sexiest damn thing she ever did. I attacked her neck with warm, wet kisses, and she sighed, grabbing a handful of my damp hair. I pulled her away from the door and swung it open, pushing her into the room. The cold air of the motel room nipped at every surface of my body but I could hardly find it in me to care much – apparently neither could Bella. She stumbled backwards to the bed, her warm hands wrapped around my neck, holding her lips against mine. I broke the kiss, and pushed her down onto the bed, being equally gentle and rough at the same time. She looked up at me, waiting eagerly. I stood there for a minute admiring her beauty. She propped herself up on her elbows.

"Rethinking your decision to make me unclean?" Bella asked, pouting out her bottom lip playfully. My mouth turned up into a grin and I shook my head with intensity.

"Not a chance."

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A/N:

So let me know what you all think! And the song that Bella sings in the car with Edward is _Every Breath You Take by The Police_ – love it.

And I'm really sorry but I may not update for at least a week. It sucks but I still have three exams to go! Bear with me please!

And your reviews are all much appreciated!


	21. Renee

**A/N: Chapter twenty-one! Ah. Yes, so I'm sorry this took so long. Exam's suck – a lot. And today thankfully is my last one! **

**I tried my hardest to make this chapter a good one. I think I have successfully made this my longest chapter! They just keep getting longer. **

**Thanks for being patient! So enjoy!**

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B.P.O.V

The next morning, after Edward and I were well rested, we were back on the road heading for Phoenix. It was only another five hours until we were at Renee's, and from this point on I didn't need directions. I had both my bare, sockless feet planted firmly on the dashboard in front of me, tapping my hand on my leg to the song that was playing. Edward had plugged his iPod in and had some MGMT going. The windows were rolled down; the hair that I had finally tamed this morning was now flying all over the car. The warm Arizona breeze felt too good against my skin. I hadn't been here since last July, and to be honest, I kind of missed it. Edward was driving because he _insisted, _like he did with most other things. In the driver's seat he was bobbing his head and beating his hands against the steering wheel in time with the music. I loved how carefree we were with each other. I would feel like a complete moron doing this with anyone else – well maybe except Alice and Jasper. As he kept speeding down the interstate towards Phoenix I felt a rush of excitement wash over me – I was excited to see Renee and Phil and I was excited to be back in Phoenix again...but more than that, I was excited for Edward to meet my mom. And he seemed perfectly okay with all of this too, which was more than I could have asked for. With Charlie he had been a mess of nerves, but he probably felt that he could charm my mother more than he could charm my father; which is true.

"Okay, so take the next exit, that one," I told Edward, pointing to a sign that was passing us. We were so close to my house and I was getting more and more excited the closer we got. Edward pulled off the highway at the exit I told him to, and from then on I directed him for ten minutes until we turned onto the street my mother lived on. We drove down the road, reaching the very end, before we came to a stop in front of the fairly small, familiar house I remembered. Renee had planted dozens of things in the front yard, it was absolutely covered. I laughed when I saw it. She always had these insane projects that she got herself into – pottery, planting, yoga, cooking. I shuddered at the thought of her cooking. Sometimes her meals weren't even considered edible. I knew that I would have to take over the cooking this week if we wanted to eat something that was half decent. And I was most definitely cooking Thanksgiving dinner – not just for the sake of food, but for the sake of our health. Edward stopped the car and gave me a tiny, cute nervous smile.

"You ready for this?" I asked, squeezing his hand that was placed face up on the console. He nodded firmly and brought my hand to his face. His kissed the back of my hand, his lips lingering on my warm skin.

"More ready than I was to meet your dad." I laughed at him. Renee would absolutely love him.

"Well you don't have to worry about her, she'll love you," I assured him. I leaned in and pressed my lips against his. They were soft and warm and wet, he had just licked them a minute before. And he tasted heavenly. I nipped playfully at his top lip before I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door. When I stepped out I heard the front door of the house opening, and a high-pitched squeal erupted from Renee.

"Bella!" She yelled, hurrying down the walkway. I laughed and ran to her, not even bothering with my bag right now. I was immediately consumed in my mom; her loving, mothering arms were around me, crushing me into a hug. She smelt of cookies and vanilla and warmth. I basked in it, I hadn't realized how much I'd missed her because I had been mad the last time I saw her.

"Hey mom," I managed to say as she crushed me to death. "Okay can't breathe," I told her after a minute. She laughed lightly and pulled away, her eyes almost glazed over in happy tears.

"Sorry sweetie, I'm just so happy to see you," she said, kissing me on the cheek. Edward must have come over by now because Renee squealed like a child again and dodged past me. I turned around and saw her embracing Edward too; he wrapped both his arms around her and gave me a fleeting look.

"Oh Edward it's so good to finally meet you!" Renee exclaimed, I'm sure crushing Edward like she had been crushing me. Edward soothingly rubbed her back.

"It's nice to meet you too Renee," Edward replied, laughing a little bit. I was always so entranced and dazzled by what he said and did. My mother finally let him go and gave him a good once over before turning back to me. She gave me a very blatant thumbs up and winked, laughing her way back into the house.

"Grab your stuff and get in here," she said, disappearing into the door. I blushed like mad, she was so embarrassing sometimes.

"Oh god...I shouldn't have been worrying about you this entire time, I should have been worrying about me. Do you realize how much she is going to embarrass me this week?" I asked, still as red as can be. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and towed me back to the car.

"Don't worry Bella. I would _love _to spend this entire week hearing embarrassing stories about you." I glared at him. He thinks it's all so hilarious.

"Great. If I don't die of embarrassment from this week I'm getting every embarrassing detail of your life from Carlisle and Esme during the Christmas break." He lost his smile and bit his bottom lip. Ha, Edward Cullen, you've met your match.

"Touché," he replied, opening the trunk. He took both our bags in one hand and snatched my hand up in his other. He refused to let me carry my own bag. We walked hand in hand into the house and the smell of cookies entered my nostrils as if I were walking into a wall of cookies. It was delicious...but I feared for the cookies; they couldn't be at all fit for human consumption. I gulped loudly and Edward inhaled deeply next to me.

"Smells delicious," he said, proceeding further into the house. We walked through the living room to where the kitchen was and saw Renee flitting around the small space in an apron, cookie batter and already baked cookies _everywhere. _Every surface of the kitchen was covered in either cookies, or utensils used to make cookies. I became immediately concerned. Since when did she make cookies? I stepped into the kitchen and saw Phil sitting at the dining room table, his injured leg propped up on a chair nearby.

"Hey Bella," he said, smiling at me. Before when they had first got married I hadn't really had anything against Phil. He was really nice and my mom seemed to really like him. But when they got married I was bitter to him, and didn't really talk to him very much. But right now...that all seemed too childish. And Phil was good to her, he loved her...and she loved him. So I smiled back as convincingly as possible – because I still needed to build him back up as a good person in my mind – and walked over to him. I bent down and awkwardly hugged him because he was sitting down.

"Hey Phil. How's the leg?" I asked, noting the large metal brace encasing his knee. He frowned at it.

"Not so good. I tore some tendons and ligaments. I had surgery a while back, but I still need to have physiotherapy. Doctor says hopefully I'll be able to play again by next fall." He had little hope in his voice and I felt bad for him. Since I'd known Phil he had lived for baseball; it was his passion. And it almost pained me to see him so upset over it.

"Well hopefully that's the case," I told him in an upbeat voice. "And Phil this is Edward," I said this turning around. I walked over to Edward and brought him over to Phil. They shook hands like the macho men they were.

"It's good to meet you," Phil said, releasing Edward's hand. "Renee hasn't stopped talking about you two since she found out you were coming." Renee made a noise of protest from the other side of the kitchen. "Oh honey stop that. You know its true," Phil said, grinning at her. Renee quickly gave up. She was stubborn but most times she was a pushover. I leant down to Phil so she couldn't hear me.

"Uh I'm kind of concerned. What's with the cookies?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He chuckled and clutched at his sides. He knew that I knew Renee wasn't a cook.

"Don't ask. She's been doing this all morning. I hope they're safe to eat; they smell good." Phil was still laughing, and trying to keep this fact from my mother. I turned to Edward who had a puzzled look on his face.

"Okay I'm going to put my stuff in my room. Edward's all set up in the guest bedroom right?" I asked my mom. She nodded her head without turning around because she was furiously beating at some cookie batter in a bowl. I shook my head and left the kitchen with Edward. He grabbed our bags again and followed me down the hall. My room and the guest bedroom were on the ground floor and the bathroom and the master bedroom were on the second floor. I opened the door to my room and it looked exactly the same since the last time I had been here. The bright, green walls stared back at me; completely adorned with pictures and posters and other whatnot's. Edward set my bag down on my bed and looked around the room with curiosity. He was the only boy I had ever had in my room here.

"By the way," I said to him after a minute. I figured I should warn him about Renee's cooking. He turned to look at me and waited for the next part. "Watch what you eat around here. I wouldn't necessarily call my mom the next Rachael Ray."

"But the cookies smell so good," he protested. I shook my head.

"Don't let them fool you. They may smell good, but they could most likely put you in the hospital," I said, smiling a bit. I laughed remembering the time Renee had to go to the hospital because of an incident with the stove. Edward's forehead creased when he knit his brows together.

"In the car the other day when you were asleep you were going on about Renee...and a stove?" He said, shaking his head like he had no idea what I had meant by that. I laughed harder. I had been talking about that in my sleep? I sat down on my bed and Edward sat next to me. This bed was about the same size as the horribly small one back at Dartmouth. But somehow we both still managed to fit comfortably on it.

"Okay. One time a few years ago Renee was making dinner when I was here. She was being stubborn and insisted on making dinner when I told her she couldn't. She had like ten things going at the same time. She had all four burners on the stove turned on and had something in each of them. To this day I still don't know what she was even trying to make. Anyways, Phil was just getting home from a baseball practice and he came into the kitchen. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and when she was turned around pretty much everything boiled over at the same time. She had water everywhere. She was screaming and I ran in from the living room. She had dropped a boiling pot of water on the floor and it burned a few of her toes. She also got burned a little on the arms and hands. I told her that using the stove was dangerous for her and told her she shouldn't cook anymore. We took her to the hospital so she could get the burns treated. And she vowed never to use the stove again. I mean the oven's close enough!" Edward was nearly laughing by the time I was done my story.

"Oh god...well I hope she doesn't blow up the house or something," he said, trying not to laugh. I quietly giggled. It would be something she would do too.

"Pray it doesn't happen," I said, crossing my fingers. "So I warned you in advance. Just so you know." He nodded.

"Well what about Thanksgiving dinner?" He asked, highly concerned about his delicious turkey meal being ruined. I waved my hand; that was all covered.

"No worries. I'll be cooking that one. There's no way I'm letting her cook a turkey."

"I didn't know you could cook," Edward said. "How come you never told me?" It wasn't like some big secret...I guess it just never came up before. I shrugged.

"I don't know. It's not like some big deal or anything. It just never came up in regular conversation before."

"Hmm. I guess I learn something new everyday don't I?" He asked, kissing me affectionately on the nose. I nodded against his mouth.

"Yep. So what about you? Can you cook?" He rubbed his nose against mine and nodded.

"I can." He said, smiling playfully. He then devoured my lips with his, moving his tongue in and out of my mouth like magic. I sighed and pushed back at him with force, sliding my tongue further and further into his mouth. He groaned as I pressed my body against his, and he clutched at my shoulders – trying to hold back from taking me right now. I knew I was pushing him...but he started it. I slid onto his lap, pressing my body down onto him and he dug his fingers into my hips, holding me securely on him. I tried to grind myself onto him but he wouldn't allow that. When I finally gave up trying I pulled out of the kiss, earning a throaty protest from Edward.

"Bella...I hate you," he said, kissing my neck roughly. I tilted my head and sighed in pleasure.

"I hate you too," I told him, tangling my fingers into his messy bronze mop. He stopped kissing me when he got to my collarbone to catch his breath.

"Want to show me the guest bedroom?" He asked, pulling his face away from my neck. I was both pissed and glad that he stopped. I got off his lap and left the room, only to stop two feet away from mine. I opened the door to the guest bedroom which Renee had decided to give a theme to. She called it the 'Desert'.

And boy did it look like a desert.

The walls were painted a sandy brown...like a desert, and she went an odd way and painted the ceiling orange? Don't ask. The ceiling fan in the room had been painted as well. Each separate panel was painted like a cactus. The curtains to the window were adorned with lizards and snakes; it looked completely ridiculous. And the floor was a dark hardwood, which fit in perfectly with the vibe of the room. The bed sheets sadly were desert themed as well and I blushed at the sight of the room. This was the beginning of my embarrassment. Edward, I'm sorry you have to sleep in this insane excuse for a room for a week.

"This is...unique," he said, placing his bag down on the floor. I blushed a deeper shade of red; yes it was unique.

"I'm so sorry you have to sleep in here," I said, covering my mouth to stop from laughing hysterically. He chuckled and waved his hand at me.

"Don't worry about it, this is awesome," he said, playing with the frilly green things coming off of the pillows on the bed. I giggled. This was completely insane.

"And so my embarrassment begins," I said, accepting the fact that I wouldn't stop blushing at all this week. Before Edward could say anything Renee called us.

"Bella! Edward! Come get some cookies!" Renee yelled from down the hall. I plastered a mock scared look on my face...but truth be told I _was _a little scared. Edward turned around and had a similar look on his face. It made me laugh.

"Should I tell her I'm allergic to cookies?" Edward asked, grinning at me. I honestly contemplated him telling her that so he didn't get sick. "I'm joking," he then said.

"You never know Edward. Don't say I didn't warn you."

We left the room a minute later and nervously made our way to the kitchen – prepared to test these questionable cookies that Renee had made. When we walked in Phil had a plate of cookies on the table in front of him – he was looking at them like they were going to bite him on the nose. We entered the kitchen and sat down at the table next to him. He gave us both a frightened look and took a cookie. He held it in his hand, looking at it like it was poison. I decided to chance asking my mom if the cookies were safe.

"Okay mom...are you sure these cookies are edible?" I asked, hoping she wouldn't get completely offended. She turned around from her spot in front of the sink and placed both hands on her hips; she scarily reminded me of Alice.

"Yes Bella. I'm sure they're edible. The recipe wasn't that hard." She spoke like she knew exactly what she was talking about and it frightened me. I picked a cookie up off the plate and eyed it with concern. She had never made cookies before in her life. But I decided that the worst I would get was food poisoning and shot a weary look to Edward before taking a small bite of cookie into my mouth. Phil watched me carefully and my mom was paying us no attention while she turned back to the dishes. As I chewed cautiously I realized that there was actually _nothing _wrong with them – they were good. They were delicious. Something Renee made actually tasted good. I smiled and gave Edward a thumbs up. Phil and Edward laughed in unison and they each bit into a cookie themselves. Twenty minutes later the cookie plate was dwindled down to half the size it had been. I had easily eaten five cookies while Edward and Phil had more than doubled that. Renee had a few too and was happy that we were all enjoying them so much.

"Thank you for the cookies Renee. They were delicious," Edward said, devouring the last bit of milk from his glass.

"You're very welcome, and thank you. I'm glad _someone_ appreciates my cooking." Renee had a big smile on her face as she spoke to Edward. I knew she'd love him. I laughed because Edward had been just as concerned as Phil and I about the cookies.

"Damn!" Phil yelled, frantically pushing his chair out from the table. "Renee what time is it?" He asked, his forehead creasing in worry.

"Almost three. Why?"

"The game's on soon!" Phil said excitedly. Of course it would be something to do with baseball. When I had come to visit last time they had gotten one of those HD satellite boxes with thousands of channels and Phil had purchased the Sports package of course. So now he could watch any game any time. He also enjoyed watching old games – not just the new ones.

He swung his body around and reached for his crutches that were propped up against the wall. Of course, since Edward was fucking amazing, he got up and helped Phil to his feet, grabbing him the crutches. Phil hobbled out of the room and Edward stood in the doorway, smiling at me. I mouthed the words 'I love you' to him and he did the same in return.

"I think I'll help her clean up. You can go watch the game if you want," I said, standing up and pushing all three of our chairs in. Edward smiled again and nodded, and left me and Renee to the kitchen.

"Honey you don't have to help clean up. Really. I'm fine," Renee said, whisking the nearly empty plate of cookies off the table.

"I want to help." I followed her over to the sink and took up the duty of drying the dishes and putting them back where they belonged. I hadn't been here in months, but everything occupied the exact same space as it had before. "So..." I said, not really awkward with the silence but wanting to know what she thought of my boyfriend. "What do you think of Edward?" I glanced over to her and she smiled widely.

"Bella he seems perfectly wonderful," she said in an upbeat tone. I grinned and blushed a little bit. "I really like him. I can't wait to get to know him better this week. And honestly sweetheart...I've never seen you happier." I nearly dropped the plate I had been holding because I was so caught up in emotion. I never _had _been this happy.

"Really?" I asked, the stupid smile I had still plastered my face. "Because I am happy mom...really happy."

"Well good. That's all I want for my girl. But just one thing Bella. Are you being safe?" My face instantly flooded red, warming my cheeks. They were on fire.

"Mom! Oh my god," I said, embarrassment staining my cheeks.

"It's just a question Bella. While you are undoubtedly the best thing that's ever happened to me I don't want you in the same situation I had been in when I was your age. I was pregnant with you when I was nineteen."

"I know mom," I said, feeling sufficiently less embarrassed. I know she was just trying to make sure my future was a bright one. "And yes...we're being safe I promise." My cheeks reddened again. Oh god. My life was embarrassing. Renee laughed beside me and wrapped her arms around me. She hugged me with a great amount of force and again reminded me of Alice.

"Oh I'm so happy Bella. You're turning out to be such a beautiful young woman." My eyes watered and I hugged her back more forcefully.

"Well I did have you for a mother," I said, my voice near cracking. After our emotional embrace we continued doing the dishes, listening to the screams of Phil at the television and the hypnotic laughter of Edward as he sat there watching him.

---

I hurried around the kitchen as Edward set the table. I had shooed Renee and Phil out of the kitchen over an hour ago. My mom was no help and Phil was just in the way. Neither of them were of much use to me. The turkey had finished cooking ten minutes ago and dinner was just about ready. Today was Thursday...Thanksgiving. One of my favourite times of the year. Turkey dinner was my all time favourite meal, and my mouth was salivating at the sight of all the food I was meticulously preparing. I left the turkey for Edward to carve because I honestly didn't trust myself with a serrated, electric knife, and pulled all the stuffing out of the delicious Butterball turkey. I put it into a bowl and placed it down on the dinner table, shooting a glance at Edward who was setting down the last plate.

"What else would you have me do?" He asked. He had been talking this whole time like I was his master and he was my slave because I had been hurling jobs at him. I smiled and quickly kissed him before going over to the boiling pot of potatoes.

"Turkey," I said, turning the burner off. And he did just as I asked. I heard the intimidating sounds of the electric knife cutting into the turkey as I strained the potatoes and mashed them to perfection. I set them, too, down on the table and walked back over to the stove. The pot of corn was almost done as well as the cooked baby carrots. I let them cook for another minute and my glance shot back over to Edward. It always did. I watched him as he carefully carved the turkey and set each of the perfect slices down on the platter. I scooted over to him and snatched a small piece of turkey up off the plate. I chewed on it ravenously because I was absolutely starving. Edward chuckled lightly and did the same.

"Hungry?" I asked. He grabbed another piece and put it into his mouth.

"I'm fucking starving," he said, cutting up another large piece. "Watch your hands." I had grabbed a piece off the turkey that was apparently too close for Edward's liking to the knife. He was so protective of me sometimes...I loved it.

"You aren't going to scare me away from the turkey by threatening my hands with the knife," I joked. He stopped cutting for a minute and looked over to me. His eyebrow raised and he fucking smirked.

"Why would I want to mangle your beautiful hands? You would be of little use to me then." I bit on my lip to stop from smiling. What an ass. I couldn't help the smile despite my biting. I wouldn't play the offended girlfriend.

"I'd still have my mouth," I told him, licking my lips seductively. His smile vanished and he pursed his lips. I knew I was being a temptress – I couldn't help it. He brought it out in me.

I could hear the pots behind me boiling and I disappeared from his side, leaving him there to his pent-up hormones that were surely endangering his will power right now. I strained each of the vegetables and put them in appropriate bowls before setting them down on the table. I turned back to Edward who had just been watching me the entire time. I smiled at him and fluttered back to his side.

"Are you done?" I asked, like nothing had even happened. He leaned down to me and grazed his nose along my jaw line, making me melt. His hot mouth rested below my ear.

"You are so cruel," he whispered huskily, making my body heat up. "Don't worry though. You'll get yours." I gulped loudly and bit my lip. He would be a tease to me later on. Way to go Bella. I knew my will power was much worse than Edwards.

"I'll be waiting," I whispered back, unable to think any other coherent thought apart from the idea of sneaking into the guest bedroom once Renee and Phil were asleep. Edward pulled away from me then and did just as I had been doing. He pretended like nothing was different. He finished cutting the rest of the turkey and set it down on the table. I called my mom and Phil out from the living room and they joined us a minute later. They sat down at the table as Edward and I continued flitting about the kitchen for a minute, getting a few things that we had forgotten.

When we had sat down to many praises of the delicious smell we all hastily filled our plates. I ate without shame; I ate like I had never eaten before in my life. I hadn't had a real, true home-cooked meal this school year since this week. And this turkey dinner was the high point of my dining experiences this year. After I was finished eating I vowed that I couldn't eat another bite. I was stuffed, and felt completely satisfied as well as disgusting. I always felt that way after a turkey dinner...but that's just how it was. Edward, Phil and Renee had all said the same, but Edward still picked at the turkey nonetheless. My heart always jumped at the cute little things he did. I was noticing all of his little habits as I came to be with him more and more often.

By this point in our relationship I had tripped. I had fallen hard. I had fallen madly in love with the beautiful man sitting next to me who had once been a perfect stranger I had met at a floor meeting. This falling had sent me face first down into a hole that was much too tall for me to ever climb out of – I was stuck. And I wanted to be stuck.

My fall had me with Edward, who had apparently fallen for me too.

**E.P.O.V**

After the kitchen was again spotless we all proceeded to the living room – Renee had wanted us all to watch a movie together.

"You pick, mom, honestly," Bella said. I knew she hated to make decisions sometimes. Renee picked out a movie that she said she had rather enjoyed – Transformers. It was a fucking awesome movie. I took up a spot on the couch next to Bella and she inched closer to me, her thigh grazed mine. I revelled in the closeness. This week was tempting me to no end and it was borderline human cruelty for Bella to look so sexy in a frilly, dark blue skirt. The creamy skin of her thigh was peeking up at me from the couch, begging me to touch it. I subtly lifted my fingers and dragged them across her skin, making her tense. I knew she was just as tightly wound as I was. She took my hand and pulled it off her leg, holding it in her own hand. Touching her was something I just needed to do, no matter where it was that I touched her. I supposed her hand would do.

"Oh before the movie starts I want to show you something Edward," Renee said, beckoning me to follow her. Bella made to come with me but Renee refused. "No Bella. Stay here. I need to show him something." Bella grumbled and sat back down. I followed Renee and she disappeared up the second story stairs. I went to follow her but she was back down before I could ascend the first step. She went into the guest bedroom and flicked on the light. She sat down on the bed and I followed her. "Please close the door," she said. I closed it and went to the bed to sit down beside her. Her hand was closed tightly, like she was holding something.

"So what did you need to show me?" I asked quizzically, wondering what she was holding.

"I don't necessarily need to show you something as much as give you something. First of all let me explain myself. Edward I think you are a fantastic young man, and you seem to be well grounded. And while I notice you are much different from Bella I can see many similarities between the two of you. There's something...strange about the way you two are together. The way you watch her sometimes – it's so protective. It's like you'd throw yourself in front of a moving bullet or something." I laughed a bit at her observations. She was much more perceptive than I had given her credit for.

"I would probably do that too." And it was true. I would most likely jump in front of a bullet to save Bella. Renee just smiled back. "But are you saying it like it's a bad thing?" I asked, almost concerned. Renee shook her head forcefully.

"No. It's just _different. _But it's Bella too. I can see that she's changed. She's so much different than the daughter I had known back in the summer. The way she moves – she orients herself around you without even seeming to think about it. When you move, even a little bit, she adjusts her position at the same time. Like magnets...or gravity. She's like...a satellite, or something. I've never seen anything like it. It thrills me to know that you two have such a strong connection. I can tell how much she really loves you Edward." Through Renee's entire speech I felt my insides warming. That was the way Bella and I worked. We needed to be close to each other. The electricity we felt demanded the closeness of one another.

"I can't tell you how much I truly love your daughter Renee," I told her, seriousness coating my voice as I looked her dead in the face and told her this. She smiled from ear to ear at my declaration of love for her daughter. Unlike Charlie, I felt like I could tell this to Renee because she didn't see me as some horny teenage college kid trying to get in Bella's pants. Charlie on the other hand probably still saw Bella as his 'little girl' that I was going to taint.

"I can see that Edward. Believe me. Which brings me to what I've wanted to talk to you about? I know that you two haven't been dating for long at all...but the way you two act it's just...so certain. I almost feel like..." She trailed off. "Don't laugh because this may sound corny but I think you are Bella's soul mate Edward." I didn't laugh. It wasn't funny. It was fucking true. "And I wanted to ask you...and please don't lie to save my feelings or Bella's. But do you see yourself with Bella in the future? When you're older? Would you ever consider marrying her?" I was shocked. She was asking me if I wanted to marry Bella. This was...sort of strange. But yes. I did want to marry Bella. I went with honesty.

"In all honesty Renee...I do see Bella in my future. She _is _my future." I laced my fingers together, swallowing loudly. "I would marry her in a heartbeat," I said in a tiny voice. She made a small sniffling noise next to me and when I looked into her face she was crying.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I know I get a little ahead of myself sometimes. But I was certain that you would want to keep Bella around. So here," she said, opening her hand. She presented me with a small, white-gold band with a reasonably sized emerald cut diamond in the middle, and two smaller sapphires flanking it. It looked very old and sentimental. And it was beautiful. "This was my grandmother's engagement ring. And I know that you aren't going to propose to Bella any time soon. But I wanted you to have it. I know you'll keep it safe, and someday I would like Bella to wear it. And I would be honoured if you gave it to her."

I sat there staring at her. I had no words to tell her what I was feeling. Joy? How could you put into words the feeling of jumping up and down? Renee most definitely approved of me someday marrying her daughter – she was giving me the ring to propose with!

"Renee...I don't know what to say?" I took the small ring in my fingers and examined its beauty. I could definitely see myself giving this ring to Bella. My insides twisted in happiness and I wanted to almost cry. I was a pussy. But being emotional was something that had changed since I had been with Bella.

"Just take it. And promise to keep it safe. And when you're ready, give it to Bella. I know she'll love it." I smiled at her.

"Of course. I promise to do all of those things. You...have no idea what this means to me," I said to her, leaning in for a hug. I had to do something to show her that I was more grateful than she would ever know that she approved of my relationship with Bella. She sniffled again over my shoulder and pulled away. She wiped under her eyes and smiled a teary smile.

"That's all. Let's go watch the movie," she said, standing up. I went over to my bag and unzipped it, taking out the small bag that held my toothbrush. I slipped the ring into that and zipped it tightly. I needed to find a safer place to keep it when I got back home. I followed Renee back out into the living room and found Bella and Phil laughing at something on the T.V. They were watching some stand-up comedian. Bella's laughter was infectious. She made me smile. I went back to my spot next to her while Phil and Renee occupied the love seat perpendicular to the couch.

"So what'd she have to show you?" Bella asked, her hand resting on my knee. I panicked. I hadn't thought of anything. Oh shit, come on Edward.

"Just some pictures of baby Bella," I quickly thought. That could easily be what she was showing me. Renee laughed.

"You know Bella. That one of you dancing with your dress tucked in your little underwear. Such a cute picture!" Renee said, spinning our little fib. I wasn't lying about something to Bella. This was something I was meant to keep from her. You don't go and tell your girlfriend who you hope to marry someday that you have the ring already. I looked to my right and saw Bella blushing.

"Mom! That picture is so embarrassing. Oh god." I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and squeezed tight. I held her close to me and kissed the top of her head.

"I thought they were adorable." I heard her sigh and she eased her body into mine. "Don't worry. I know I'm getting it bad when we go home for Christmas." She had vowed yesterday that I was going to be the one blushing over the Christmas break and not her. I rarely ever blushed, she was so funny sometimes.

Phil started the movie then, and turned off the only light that illuminated the room. We all sat in darkness and watched as Transformers captivated all of our attention. Bella loved this movie, and so did I. She laughed at all the funny parts and her smile made me want to just pull out the ring and slide it on her finger right now. Would she totally think it weird if I proposed to her before we were in our twenties? I knew I couldn't wait that long. Maybe after we were together for a year? I could wait a year...couldn't I? I sat there with Bella cradled in my arms; the exposed skin of her arms was heating me through my shirt. Her flowing skirt that revealed her beautiful legs, and the v-neck, grey tank that she was wearing were nearly getting to be too much for me. I watched most of the movie, but my gaze always shifted to Bella's legs...or her arms...or her face...or her chest. I almost felt like a pervert when I stared audaciously – almost. Not enough for me to stop doing it over and over. I felt Bella's breathing growing heavy next to me by the end of the movie and soon heard her quiet and sweet non-snores. Her deep breaths were in danger of putting me to sleep as well. But the movie ended before I could succumb. I looked over to Phil and Renee who were still wide awake. They turned off the movie and handed me the remote. I told them I would stay here and watch T.V for a bit with her, and see if she would wake up.

They said goodnight and left me in the living room. I flipped through a few channels and decided to stop on a rerun of That 70's Show. It was the episode where Hyde, Kelso and Fez go to Jackie's cottage to party while Jackie is apparently at a 'Doll Expo'. I tried hard not to laugh...but the show was just so funny. As Kelso hit himself in the head with a vase I let out a deep chuckle. I cursed myself when Bella stirred. She had been so peaceful.

"Hey you," I said, brushing her hair out of her face. Her tired eyes looked up to mine and I smiled, kissing her forehead.

"Hey," she breathed. She wrapped one arm around my abdomen and held me tightly. "Mmm, I fell asleep. For how long?"

"Not that long. Only like half an hour. Are you tired? Let's get you to bed." I went to stand up but Bella held me down.

"Not yet. I'm comfortable." She nestled into me and slipped her hand underneath my shirt. She brushed her fingers all along my bare skin, exploring the contours of my stomach; it made me quiver.

"Bella I can't handle this," I told her, stopping her movements. She 'humphed' and slid her hand out. I leant down to her and whispered in her ear. "I can't have you touching me like that and not have you." She giggled quietly.

"I know what you mean. But it's so unfair! I can't keep my hands off you," she whispered back. I could see her faint blush from the light of the T.V. She was so damn cute.

"You think it's not killing me right now to have you sitting next to me in _that, _and not be able to do...unspeakable things to you?" I leant down further and grazed my lips along her ear. I felt goose bumps form underneath my lips as I moved them to her neck. I didn't want to keep my hands off of her; ever.

"What...uh, what sort of...unspeakable th-things? What would you...uh, do to me?" She managed to get out through my light nipping and licking. I wasn't helping either of us. But I couldn't keep myself off of her. I stopped and breathed deep into her neck.

"Well first of all this tank top has to go," I whispered, tugging at the hem of it. "I'd rip it off you. Mmm," I said, getting a fucking arousing idea. I brought my lips to her shoulder and kissed there. "Maybe I would take it off with my teeth." I took the strap of her shirt in between my teeth and tugged it down, making it fall down her arm. She whimpered a little bit.

"Edward..." She breathed, frantically rubbing her hand along my knee. "You have no idea how much I want you to do that." I smiled as I kissed up her neck. When I kissed her cheek I noticed she was subtly moving her hand up my thigh.

"Oh, Bella. You're dangerously tempting me to undress you right now. I just can't do that under your mother's roof." I had a double meaning to my words. First it was sort of wrong for us to fool around or have sex with her mother on the next floor. And secondly it made me feel bad because Renee and I had just had an intense heart to heart. She growled a tiny bit and moved her hand higher.

"But I want you so bad," she said, whining every word. Why must she whine? Was she not aware that it aroused me like fucking mad? Maybe that's why she was doing it?

I wanted her even more than she wanted me; that was a guarantee. I decided that a little fooling around wouldn't hurt anyone. So I gently pressed my lips to hers and was consumed in her delicious taste. Her tongue darted out to meet mine and the softness and warmth was so inviting I wanted to never let it out of my mouth. I groaned and it was consumed in Bella's mouth. Her hand had moved all the way up to my obvious erection and she was rubbing all along the length of it. Her fingers stopped rubbing and she moved her hand to my zipper. I had no belt on which, at the moment, I was fucking thankful for. She undid the button and zipper to my khaki shorts and slid her hand inside my pants; only to quickly pull it back out. She pulled away from the kiss as well. She sat up and went to kneel in front of me, sliding her hands to the side of my shorts. She began pulling them slowly, and I lifted my hips ever so slightly so she could tug them down. She didn't move them far, just enough for my dick to come free of its confinement. She bit her lip and her eyes were hooded with lust as she took in the sight of me.

She pulled on my bare hips and I moved willingly to wherever she was pulling me. She rested one arm on my left and held the base of my dick in her other hand. She pumped her hand up and down slowly, making a light shudder erupt from me. Her eyes were locked with mine and I'm sure my mouth was hanging open. It felt so good I didn't really care what I looked like. She made me lose all my coherency and inhibitions. She licked her lips a few times while her eyes were still on me and I wanted to whimper. She stopped moving her hand and kept it at my base. She stuck her little tongue out of her mouth and licked up the side of the shaft, sending a tingle up my spine. She swirled it around the tip and made me quiver. Next she took me full into her mouth, setting a steady pace for herself. I knotted my fingers in Bella's hair and bit on my lip. I was being as silent as I could be. I even put my hand over my mouth at one point when she began going faster. My head was also rested against the back of the couch. I wanted this to last longer and watching Bella move against me was too appealing to watch.

After ten minutes of her consuming me fully I was seething. I was so close I was nearly shaking. I rubbed circles in her hair frantically, doing anything that made my hands move. My breathing was hard and ragged and I was trying so hard not to moan. The fucking expert. As she swirled her little tongue around the tip again I felt myself right on the verge.

"Bella," I breathed, my fingers working crazily into her hair. "I'm going to finish." She paid my comment no attention and continued even faster – making me come instantly. My hips bucked up and I shuddered, letting my orgasm consume me. She drank me in and cleaned me off and finally released me from her mouth. I was lifeless, my head rested firmly against the back of the couch. I moaned quietly in satisfaction. Bella pulled my pants back up for me and I barely had it in me to lift my hips. She fastened them closed and climbed on top of me.

"You're amazing," I told her, kissing her with passion. She tangled her fingers into my unruly mop of hair and bit lightly on my lip. She pulled back and smiled her sexy but cute smile at me.

"You taste so good," she whispered in my ear. The smirk that most likely danced across her face was evident in her tone. My hands wrapped around her back and moved up and down her spine. My hand travelled down her side and ventured to her leg. I lifted the light material of her skirt up until it was inappropriately placed around her hip. I slid my hand between my legs to gain access to her. She gripped the back of my head tighter and she kissed the spot below my ear. I lightly brushed my fingers along the outside of her panties, making her jump at the sensation. I could feel her wetness through her underwear. Sexy as fuck. With one finger I pushed aside the thin fabric of her underwear and felt her heated center dripping onto my hand. My breathing was still erratic and it wasn't getting any easier to breathe the more I kept touching her. I slipped a finger into her, letting the warmth surround it. Her hips pushed down onto me further and she elicited a soft moan from my neck. Her teeth sunk into my neck and I groaned. She sucked hard on my skin, making me sweat.

"You'd make a sexy vampire," I told her, slipping another finger into her. She moaned and moved her lips to my mouth. Her tongue forcefully entered my mouth as my thumb began to rub circles on the spot that she wanted me to. She would have moaned exceptionally loud had my mouth not muffled the noise. She, unlike me, had no shame in expressing herself in her mother's house. It made me sort of nervous that she was so carefree, but as long as she was happy. I pumped my fingers and moved my thumb in repetitious motions and her hips continually moved with me, trying to find the release she was looking for. When she took her tongue out of my mouth she responded to the comment I had made a few minutes before.

"I think you'd be...uh, a sexier one," she said, her voice shaky. I grinned at her and moved my mouth to her neck. I kissed all down it and came to the base, right near her collarbone. I softly bit at her skin, making it turn red. I took some of her soft flesh between my teeth and sucked on it gently. Her fingers knotted further into my hair and she began tugging roughly on it. It didn't necessarily hurt – it actually added to the sensations I had right now. My fingers kept going to work, pleasing Bella, and I kept lightly sucking on her neck, sending her into the frenzy she wanted. Soon her fingers began shaking; my scalp was being meticulously massaged by Bella's frantic fingers. She started whining and moaning quite loudly after another minute and I placed two fingers gently over her lips to silence her. She whimpered against my fingers but quieted. I kept up my pace as her hands in my hair increased theirs. She buried her head in my neck after a few delicate strokes of her clit and she moaned into my shirt – thankfully it muffled the noise. I took my fingers out of her and let her limp body lie against my chest. She breathed in sharp breaths, trying to gain back her regular breathing pattern.

"That was amazing," she said, a shiver passing through her. She lifted her drooping head and her satisfied eyes met mine. She was glowing and she was grinning. I decided to follow the response she had given me. I took the finger that had been inside her and put it in my mouth. Her eyes widened at me and her mouth hung open. I sucked on my finger for a second before I pulled it back out.

"You taste fucking delicious Bella," I told her, my other hand resting on the small of her back. She bit her lip and her eyes smouldered into mine. I kissed her ravenously. Her whole body responded, wanting more from me still. But tonight it was enough. We were probably pushing it as it was. I pulled away after a few minutes of my sweet, delectable girlfriend.

"Love we should go to bed. You fell asleep before. I know you're tired." She gazed at me with love in her eyes and I reciprocated the same gaze. "Come on." She gently slipped off me and pulled her skirt down back around her knees. My respectable girl. She wrapped her arms around my waist and gave me a warm hug. I encircled her in my arms and lifted her up. Her feet left the ground and I carried her away from the couch. Her left leg wrapped around me and her other hung limp at her side. I set her down at her door, where I unfortunately had to say goodnight to her.

"Goodnight," she said kissing me on the mouth. I hugged her tighter to me and finally released her.

"Goodnight. I love you," I told her, kissing her again. Her hands were twisted in my shirt and she pulled away.

"I love you too."

She quietly opened the door to her room and gave me an adorable smile before turning the light on and closing the door. I went into the insanely and erratically designed guest bedroom and oddly felt at home. Renee did a fucking fantastic job at making me feel more welcome than I had ever hoped to be. I closed the door and turned on the light. I stripped down to nothing but my boxers – which is all I ever slept in – and set my already worn clothes on the floor beside my bag. I impulsively reached for my toiletry bag and pulled out the ring Renee had given me. I turned on the small bedside lamp that was decorated with a lizard...and turned off the bright ceiling light. I slid the ring on my pinkie finger, the only one it would fit on, and snuggled into the warm bed. I used the small amount of light I had and studied every aspect of the delicate ring. The more I looked at it, the more it reminded me of Bella. The ring suited her – and blue looked fantastic on her.

I sighed and put the ring back into its safe place after looking at it for almost ten minutes. I turned out the light and nestled myself further into the comforter. It was always harder sleeping when I knew Bella was so close and I couldn't be with her. I slept easier when she was beside me. I heard a soft sound coming from behind my head, through the wall. I furrowed my brows at the noise...everyone was surely asleep by now. I strained my ears to hear and I heard...Bella? It was faint and quiet. I realized after a minute that she was talking in her sleep. I smiled into my pillow and my eyes closed, listening to her soft ranting. I could barely make out any words because it was so quiet. But before I drifted off, I heard her train of thought shift. All I heard before I passed out was 'Edward'.

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A/N: Let me know what you think – please! And to let everyone know the story is not going to go on for much longer. I may have five more chapters or so and an epilogue. And I can't wait!


	22. Heart and Home

**A/N: Wow...okay. So I definitely rambled on and on in this chapter. My first chapter that has been over 10k! Woot. Anyways, yeah. Long chapter. I know I keep saying this but it's the longest chapter yet. Hope you all like it.**

**Enjoy!**

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**B.P.O.V**

I silently made my way out of the large gym, trying not to run. I had just successfully finished my first semester of college. I was more than thrilled. I stepped out of the building and into the snowy evening. December on the coast was always particularly cold. The air nipped at my nose as I tried to keep my footing throughout the Dartmouth campus. I slipped a few times, but thankfully never fell. To keep my balance I tried not to focus too much on my boots, so I listened to the faint squish of the slush beneath my feet to keep me distracted. It took me a bit longer to get back to Berry because I was being extra careful not to fall, and when I got there I revelled in the warmth the building provided. My nose was ice and my cheeks were stinging. I trudged up the stairs, my boots staining the ground with their wetness. When I reached the second floor I was panting, the cold weather made me lose my breath much easier than normal. I swung open the door laboriously and felt my body begin to thaw even more as the warmth of my floor hit me like a brick wall. I made my way as quickly as possible to Edward's room, he had been done exams for two days – the lucky bastard. I knocked on the door a few times before just opening it because I was so happy to just be done.

"Done!" I yelled, opening the door to find Edward sitting languidly on his bed. He smiled my favourite crooked grin and stood up. I skipped over to him and hugged him around his torso, pressing my cold body against his burning hot one. He pushed his arms against my shoulders and made sounds of protest.

"Oh my god you're freezing Bella!" Edward yelled at me. I frowned. I was fucking freezing.

"I know. It's like minus thirteen out," I said to him, smiling. I was just so happy that exams were finally done that I couldn't help but smile. I tried to unzip my jacket with my mittens still on and I struggled. Edward laughed at me and helped me take it off. I slipped the gloves off with my teeth and put them with my coat. I slipped my boots off as well and set them by the door so I didn't soak the rest of the floor. I next went into Edward's closet and found the sweater that I had crowned as my favourite. It was a dark blue colour and had white drawstrings. It was the most comfortable thing I had ever worn in my life. I slid my arms into the sweater and zipped it up, hugging the smell and presence of Edward to my body tightly.

"I love your sweater," I said to him, hugging myself still. I walked back over to him, still thawing, and he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I think it has taken a liking to you too," he joked, pulling me closer. I laughed against his chest.

"I'm so glad I'm done. Finally. Now we can just go home for the break and relax. No school, no homework...want to watch a movie?" He let me go and replied.

"Yeah I know," he said, going over to the abundance of movies he now had. We had been to the mall a few times this semester and stocked up the poor selection of movies. "I feel so relieved now. Nothing in the way but shopping for Christmas presents for you." I groaned at this and lied down on his bed.

"Edward do you have to? I mean I don't really want anything. I don't like you spending money on me." He picked out a movie and put it in the DVD player, shaking his head at me. He always thought it was so ridiculous that I hated presents. It was simple. He was beautiful. I was me. Anything else just threw us off even more. He already gave me too much by just giving me himself.

"Bella don't start again. I'm buying you presents. Live with it," he said to me decidedly. He came to the bed and I scooted over to make room for him.

"Fine," I conceded, crossing my arms. I really didn't like the present idea, but I knew he wouldn't budge. "So..." I said, uncrossing my arms now. I couldn't be mad at him, really. "What time are we leaving tomorrow?"

"How about six-thirty, seven-ish?" He asked, knowing that it was an ungodly hour to be awake. I groaned.

"Who's driving first? Please tell me Alice or Jasper. We don't do mornings Edward." I giggled a little. We were so alike. We both hated the morning; it was the worst time of the day for both of us.

"Jasper is. I wouldn't let myself drive that early in the morning, I'd die. I mean I could do it if I had been awake for hours...but just waking up and driving...no way. I'd like to make it back to Washington alive." I giggled again as the movie began. Edward had chosen to watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It was most likely one of his favourite movies of all time – mine as well. I smiled at the choice of movie.

"Okay good. We can just roll out of bed and into the car. Deal?" I asked, liking the idea quite a bit myself.

"Are you going to stay with me again?" He asked, grinning widely. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, letting my head rest against his chest.

"Yes. Unless you don't want me to," I said, knowing he _would_ want me to. We always joked around with each other.

"I really want you to. I hope you know you've completely ruined sleep for me. I never sleep exceptionally well unless you're with me. I mean I do sleep, but I feel better in the mornings when you're beside me." I smiled into his shirt, listening to the opening of the movie.

"It makes me feel better too," I agreed.

We watched the movie in silence, enjoying the weight of the first semester of college finally being off our shoulders. Now all that was left for me to worry about was meeting Carlisle and Esme. Tomorrow we were leaving for Washington. Jasper, after much debate with his parents, decided to come along with us. Alice really wanted him to meet her family because she had already met his. And apparently Jasper's sister Maria absolutely adored Alice – which wasn't at all shocking. I didn't doubt for a minute that Jasper's family wouldn't love Alice completely. But she wanted her parents to meet him, and we were all giddy to leave for Washington as soon as we could. Yes, I was giddy. I was still nervous to 'meet the parents' but Edward had assured me too many times that they would love me. So had Alice. I suddenly heard a pound on the door, after watching the movie comfortably for twenty minutes, and nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Bella!" Alice yelled as she opened the door. "You here? Yeah! Oh my god, we're done!" She yelled, dancing into the room. "Where's Jasper?" Alice asked, noting Jasper's empty bed. Edward shrugged his arms and my head lifted with them.

"He went to the store like half an hour ago to get food for tomorrow. He should be back soon." Alice pouted her little lip at us. She hated not being with Jasper. Our relationships were scarily similar.

"Can I stay here with you guys until he gets back?" She asked, taking up a spot on the bed. Would she really leave if we told her no anyways? Not that I would.

"Alice of course you can. Why do you ask such stupid questions sometimes?" I asked, giggling. She sunk down onto the bed and wrapped her arms around Jasper's pillow, snuggling into it.

"I don't know. That's just what I do, I suppose," she said, fixing her gaze on the television. We went back to silence again and watched the movie, laughing at the best parts. It was such a classic movie. About halfway through the movie Jasper returned with his arms filled with bags. He had bought chips and drinks and other snacks to tide us over for the trip. Alice never left his arms the entire time and I took notice of how gentle and sweet he was with her. I was so glad that Jasper wasn't a stupid cheating asshole that would break her heart. He was a carefree, loving Southern boy who was down to earth and just like Alice. They were meant to be with each other, simple as that. We all finished watching the movie and I was nearly falling asleep. The exam had finished at nine and it was now almost eleven. And we all had to be up earlier than the fucking sun. Edward turned off the T.V and tightened his hold on me that hadn't ceased since I had been back here. I was still nestled deep into his sweater and was no longer cold; I was warm and comfortable.

"So what time were you thinking man?" Jasper asked Edward. Edward rested his head against the pillow and turned his head to Jasper.

"It's really up to you since you're driving. But it's probably better to leave early. Before seven I'd say. That okay with you?" Jasper nodded his head along approvingly.

"Sounds good," Jasper said, sitting up. Alice still clutched at his side and he never let her go.

"Bella are you staying here again?" Alice asked. She smirked a little at me. I had stayed here for the past week. Since we had to study like crazy for exams I hadn't really seen much of Edward during the day at all, so I had decided to spend the nights with him. We didn't necessarily always do sexual things, I just liked being with him and sleeping with him was comforting. I smiled back at Alice and nodded my head against Edward's torso.

"Yeah I think so," I told her, yawning. "My bag's already packed too. Except my towel and toothbrush and stuff. Oh, and the clothes I'm wearing tomorrow," I told her. She smiled at me. She loved that I was being so organized and together lately. Of course being messy was one of her crazy Deadly Sins, and I hadn't been in violation of one in forever. I had also noticed that Edward and Jasper's room had been impeccable since Alice had first cleaned it back in September. I'm sure Jasper didn't want to upset her again by leaving his room a mess.

"Okay well we're going to head off then. We'll see you two in the morning," Jasper said, getting off the bed and pulling Alice with him.

"Night babe," Alice said, waving her tiny hand at me. I blew her a kiss and she smiled. "Night Edward."

"Night Alice," we both replied. He hugged me closer when we replied at the same time. Alice and Jasper left and we continued to sit there unmoving. I breathed in deep, letting Edward's smell intoxicate me.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked, stroking my hair lazily. I shrugged, going with honesty.

"The way you smell," I said, blushing a little. He laughed and my head shook against his chest.

"Yeah? And what do I smell like?"

"Hmm," I said, tracing my fingers along his shirt. "I don't know. You smell like Edward. It's lovely."

"Lovely?" I nodded, he laughed. "You smell lovely too." He kissed the top of my head. I closed my eyes. "Do you want to go to bed?" I nodded again. I was extremely tired and dreading having to get up so early in the morning. Edward sat up, forcing me to sit as well, and got off the bed. "You don't have anything to wear right? Want a shirt?" I was having trouble keeping my eyes opened now and nodded lazily. I loved wearing his clothes. He tossed me a worn grey T-shirt and it of course smelled just like him as well. I took off Edward's sweater and passed it to him. He hung it back up and started undressing. He always slept in nothing but his boxers. He was too attractive for his own good. Sometimes it caused me to lose control, but tonight I was much too tired. I peeled off my shirt, and struggled out of my pants. I folded them neatly and put them on the floor. I slid Edward's large shirt over my head and it reached down to the middle of my knees. He pulled me into a hug a minute later, lifting me off my feet. He then turned off his desk lamp and pulled me into the bed with him. I always liked sleeping against the wall and he always let me. He crawled under the blanket and I followed, curling into his side so I was in between him and the wall.

He kissed the top of my head again and I realized with sadness that I hadn't kissed him yet tonight. He kissed my forehead next. I lifted my face and blindly traced my hand across his face, looking for his mouth. I brushed my thumb across his bottom lip and pressed my lips to his a minute later. It was a sweet, gentle goodnight kiss and it didn't last for long. He rested his forehead against mine after and I could almost see him grinning.

"Goodnight sweetheart. I love you," he said to me. I sighed into his bare chest now, loving when he called me things like that.

"I love you too. Sweet dreams." His arm curled around my shoulder protectively. After ten minutes I heard Edward begin to snore, a beautiful sound. It always put me to sleep. My already shut and heavy eyes grew even heavier, finally beginning to succumb to sleep. All of the worry and the tension of the week had slipped away at last, leaving me almost as carefree as Alice. Now I was a worry-free Bella, living in the moment. I had never been like this before. And I was no longer even worried about the coming Christmas break that much. Everything would work out in the end. Thoughts of Edward, which were usually my last thoughts of the day, were the last thing I remember before losing myself in sleep.

---

"So should I go with the blue or the green?" I asked Alice tentatively, standing in front of her in my jeans and bra. She was perched on my bed like the little pixie she was, eyeing both shirts that I had in my hands.

"Well why are you even asking me? It's quite obvious you should go with the blue Bella. You look great in blue and its Edward's favourite colour. So my vote is blue." I immediately tossed the green shirt aside, pulling the blue one over my head. It was a dark blue, almost navy, with a crew neck and long sleeves. I stood in front of the mirror contemplating. It looked good enough. I was...sort of having a spaz attack. I was due at Edward's in two hours and was almost hyperventilating at the thought of meeting his parents. I was being so ridiculous but I couldn't find it in me to calm myself down. I continued to examine the blue shirt paired with my favourite jeans and decided that I was going to just be me. I didn't need to work myself up and try to be the person I thought they wanted me to be. I was just simply Bella – end of story.

"Bella it looks perfect. Edward will love it," Alice assured me. I smiled at her from the mirror and nodded. He would love it. Blue _was _his favourite colour. My eyes left my body and trailed up to my hair. A wet, dark, unruly mess. I was dressed and ready, with the exception of my hair. My make-up had been first and my wardrobe second. Alice wanted to save the hair for last so as to not ruin it.

"So how do you want your hair?" She asked, walking over to my desk. She pulled out the chair and motioned for me to go to it. I sat down, eyeing the prehistoric computer sitting in front of me and laughed. My old, rusty computer that I never ever used. Since I had gotten my laptop for Christmas last year I hadn't touched my old computer other than to send files to my new computer.

"You remember how you did it for the Sigma Phi party? Like curly, and then half-up and half-down?" Alice clapped her little hands together and ran around the room, getting hair products and tools together. She was like...a doctor of fashion or something. And she was of course an expert.

"I loved your hair like that. It'll be awesome. Trust me. I'm so excited, I wish I could be there!" She told me all this as she passed me a brush. I ran it through my hair vigorously, trying to get all the tangles out of it. I successfully smoothed my hair out after three minutes of brushing and Alice immediately went to work on it. She blow dried it meticulously, knowing this night was important to me. She worked extra hard on making me look flawless tonight, something that was sure to be a task as I was far from it. My hair in total, with Alice being anal and almost annoyingly neat, only took forty-five minutes. She secured half my hair up at the back with a large blue clip that nearly matched the colour of my shirt. She pulled some of my hair in front of my shoulders and left the remaining hair trailing down to the middle of my back. I went back over to the mirror and smiled when I saw myself. I actually liked the way I looked and I felt comfortable.

"You...I know I've said it before Alice. But honestly you are a miracle worker woman! You should definitely be a costume and make-up person or something. You'd be the best out there," I praised her. I turned around and hugged her forcefully, thankful that I had such an amazing person for a best friend.

"Anything to help my homey," Alice said. I laughed at her. Since when did she say homey?

"Uh...?" I asked, pulling away and raising an eyebrow. She frowned.

"Doesn't suit me huh?" I giggled uncontrollably. Please don't go Gangster Trucker Tinkerbelle on me...that would be entirely too much to handle.

"God no. Please don't ever say that again." She laughed at me and shrugged. I went over to my bed and picked up my phone. I had told Edward that I would call him when I was on my way. He had proposed to come and get me and take me back because he didn't want me to drive in the snow but I had protested like there was no tomorrow. There was no point in him coming all the way here just to take me back to his house, and drive me all the way back again and then go back home himself. It was just way too much hassle for him. I dialled Edward's number and he picked up on the second ring, like always.

"Well hello there beautiful," Edward's velvety smooth voice said to me. I smiled instantaneously. His voice was mesmerizing. And I hadn't seen him since he dropped me off two days ago – I missed him like crazy.

"Hello to you. I'm just about to leave. I should be there in an hour, is that okay?" I asked, only focussing on Edward's response and barely noticing the fact that Alice had left the room.

"I still would like to come get you," he said to me. I smiled. He was so sweet.

"It's unnecessary Edward. But I do miss you and want to see you like right now. So I'm coming now. I'm on my way."

"I miss you so much Bella it's fucking cruel. And fine. Get your ass here in one piece." I giggled into the phone. I wasn't that bad of a driver?

"I promise I will be at your place in an hour. I'll see you soon. I love you," I told him. I heard him sigh into the phone.

"I love you too, bye." I hung up the phone and grabbed my keys, my purse, and the directions to Edward's house that I had Google maps'd. His house was on the outskirts of Port Angeles, right before you enter the city itself. So it was secluded from the rest of civilization pretty much. I made my way down the stairs to find that Alice had left to join Jasper and Charlie in watching a football game. I heard Charlie yelling a slur of profanities at the T.V while Jasper and Alice laughed. Jasper had already met Alice's family because he was staying with them. They of course loved him. Alice's dad had some trouble at first because of what happened with Ben. Of course her dad didn't know the whole story but he knew enough to know that Alice's heart had been broken. And he didn't like seeing his little girl hurt. According to Alice though after she had mentioned that Jasper played guitar nothing else mattered. Alice's dad was the co-owner of some record company that was stationed in Seattle. He was there a lot of the time but tried to work from home so he could be with his family. So naturally when Jasper played for Alice's dad he couldn't help but love him.

"Oh come on!" Charlie yelled excessively loud. "That was bullshit!"

"Dad!" I yelled, walking into the living room. "Watch your language." I tried not to laugh as I scolded my father for swearing. He chuckled at me.

"Oh Bells, if you only knew why I was yelling. This stupid ref is god damn blind!" He said, keeping his eyes on the T.V. Alice was laughing like crazy and Jasper was grinning at my dad. They had gotten along pretty well too. There was just something about Jasper that was calming. Like you could never be really nervous or uneasy around him. I mean when he showed up in my room the first time we met I hadn't even really been that concerned. I should have yelled and screamed and jumped out of bed at the sight of a random guy in my room at seven thirty in the morning. But I didn't. Jasper just had this thing about him.

"Okay," I laughed again, shaking my head. "I'm heading out now. I'll be back later dad." He groaned and peeled himself from his lazy boy.

"You have fun hun. Drive safe. When are you going to be home?" I shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Not too late."

"Well I think it's supposed to storm tonight. So if the roads are too bad I'll come and get you and we'll get the truck tomorrow okay?" I rolled my eyes.

"Dad if the storm's too bad I'll stay at Edward's." Charlie crossed his arms. How fatherly. I obviously wasn't going to be snuggling up to Edward in his bed.

"Oh dad, don't be so ridiculous. They have guest bedrooms. If worst comes to worst I'll just stay there so I don't run the truck off the road." He sighed and crushed me into a hug.

"Be safe Bella." I nodded into his chest and wrapped my arms around him. Charlie was always comforting to me. "And tomorrow don't forget were going to Sue's. You could bring Edward along if you would like. We both want to celebrate and give you kids a chance to talk about it. And the move will be happening just after the New Year. So get Edward and that strong brother of his to come on down and help with the moving." I laughed into Charlie's sweater.

"Okay dad. I'm sure Emmett would love nothing more than to help us move boxes." I released Charlie and he smiled his signature grin at me.

"Have fun Bells." He left me there and went back to his game; he was yelling again instantly. Alice and Jasper got up and bid their goodbyes to Charlie. They came to meet me and I smiled nervously at them. I grabbed my jacket off the banister and pulled it on, zipping it to the top. It was cold and snowy outside, the weather that I liked the least. I preferred the heat of Phoenix to the cold snow of Forks. But Forks had been my home for pretty much my whole life and I loved it regardless.

"Have fun darling. And you'll be fine, trust me," Alice said, hugging me with one arm as Jasper held on tightly to her other hand.

"I know. I'll call you tonight and tell you all about it don't worry," I assured her. She laughed as she pulled away.

"You bet your ass you will." I slipped on my boots and we all headed out the door. The wind was chilly and the sky was darkening. It was twilight. A beautiful time of day. I eased my way down the stairs to avoid falling on my ass and ruining my outfit.

"See you guys later!" I said to Alice and Jasper as I opened the door to my rustic truck. Sure the truck was old and the paint job was custom faded, but it was comfortable and suited me. It was perfect, and it was all that I needed. I climbed inside the cold truck bed and closed the door, hoping it wouldn't fall off the hinges from the coldness. The truck roared to life and cold air blasted at me from the vents. I hastily turned off the heat as the truck wasn't yet warm enough to distribute the hot air that I wanted. I backed out of the driveway and began my trek to Port Angeles. The heat finally made an appearance after ten minutes and I stopped my convulsive shivering. I eased into the seat once I was warm and began singing horribly to a song on the radio. The weather wasn't too bad out now, only snowing lightly. I was careful though. I did my best to stay either on or under the speed limit. I picked the directions up when I saw that I only had seven miles until I was in Port Angeles. I noted the name of Edward's street and saw that it was well outside the city limits. I looked back to the road and of course I was just passing the street I needed.

I threw the directions onto the seat and carefully made a u-turn. I pulled onto the street that was in the middle of nowhere and drove down it. There weren't many houses on Edward's street, but all of them were extravagant and gorgeous and very, very large. I picked the directions back up as I came to the end of the street, which is where Edward said his house was. I triple checked the number of the house. My jaw was dangerously close to unhinging as I took in the sight of Edward's gigantic, looming house. It was _huge. _No...It was bigger than that. What the fuck is bigger than huge? I knew Edward had money because his dad was a well to do surgeon...but what the fuck? I didn't know he lived like royalty. I pulled uncertainly into the driveway that could easily fit six or seven cars. I saw Edward's Volvo beside my truck and Emmett's Jeep in front of me. I cut the engine and steadied my breath before taking my purse and leaving the car. I pulled my hood up, keeping my hair in tact, and made my way to the door. The house was intimidating and made me second-guess my decision to just act like myself.

But I was nothing like _this. _I certainly didn't have money like Edward had money. I was just ordinary – but so was he. Well I could argue that he was certainly nowhere close to ordinary but he acted just like me. I shook my head. I was arguing with myself? Never a good sign. I lifted a shaky finger and pressed the doorbell twice. I heard something on the other side of the door before it swung open and revealed to me a woman of my exact height. She had dark caramel coloured hair that was pulled into a stylish side ponytail, and features that any woman could be envious of. Her slender nose and her high cheekbones reminded me of Edward, although they weren't biologically related. And her large, green eyes – that were also reminiscent of Edward – brightened when she saw me.

"You must be Bella!" The woman I deduced that could only be Esme said to me.

"Yeah," I said to her. "And you're Esme?" I asked. She placed both her hands over her chest with a smile and nodded.

"It's so nice to finally meet you Bella. Please, come in." She stepped aside and allowed me entrance to the house. I placed my wet, dripping feet on the large area rug just inside the door and drew down my hood, letting my curls flow freely.

"It's nice to meet you too. I've heard so much about you and Carlisle from Edward." Esme shut the door and placed her hands on my shoulders.

"All good things I hope. Let me take your coat," she replied. I unzipped my jacket and let her take it.

"Esme I don't think Edward could ever say anything bad about you two." She laughed a dainty laugh as she hung my coat up in the closet. She turned back around to face me and smiled at me. I instantly felt at home. Her smile was warm and inviting. How could I have ever been nervous about meeting this woman?

"Well Edward has told us so much about you. I feel like I already know you," she said to me, placing her hand on my shoulder. I smiled back at her, my cheeks reddening slightly. "Oh sweetheart. Don't be embarrassed. He hasn't shut up about you since he's been home. I find it adorable. I'm glad Edward has found someone he finally wants us to meet." She widened her smile and I smiled back. She leant in and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "Come on. Edward's been driving me nuts waiting for you." She laughed a little as she said this and I laughed too. But I missed him probably the same amount, if not more. Esme and I walked through the large and spacious house, talking animatedly of anything that interested us. She was amazing, and everything that Edward had said about her was true. She was a kind and gentle person. But she was also someone that I felt was very protective of her family. The way she talked of Emmett and Edward was so motherly – it moved me. After walking and letting Esme show me around the whole first floor for about ten minutes I felt comfortable. I had been nervous at first, but she was just so like Edward...that she made me calm, and made me lose all my worries.

"They're in here," Esme said, approaching a large opening in the wall. It was the entrance to their living room that was the size of the entire first floor of my house. I heard yelling and a great amount of noise erupting from the room. "They always play these horrific video games with killing and violence. It's absolutely ridiculous," Esme said, releasing my hand that she had been holding. I laughed next to her and peered into the room. It was spacious like the rest of the house and was painted a neutral beige colour. Edward had told me that Esme was one of the most sought out interior designers in Washington – which is why, I now realized, they had so much money. I hadn't appreciated the advantages of interior design as a profession. The house was immaculate and spectacular. The living room was adorned with several unique and interesting paintings as well as dozens of frames filled with family pictures. Esme I gathered was very family oriented. In the very center of the room, above the mantle of the fireplace, was a gigantic flat screen T.V bigger than Charlie's. The screen was split down the middle, a character on either side. I assumed Emmett was on one side and Edward on the other. Both their characters carried guns. I shook my head at them. They were playing Call of Duty. I heard the loud shooting of the guns and the blasts of grenades. Emmett's constant yelling at someone was laughable. I looked to my left at the couch and they were both perched on the edge of it, animatedly clicking their fingers on the controller and yelling into the headsets they both wore. I watched Edward's intense concentration on the task at hand and it made me love my geeky boyfriend even more.

"Boys!" Esme said, smacking her hand against the wall. Emmett's gaze never left the T.V and Edward's barely shifted either. "Bella is here." Edward turned his head as soon as he heard my name and abandoned his controller.

"Dude come on! Aw no. Edward look what you did! They killed you man. This is _Team _Deathmatch. Oh fuck," Emmett ranted. Esme walked into the room and smacked Emmett on the arm. I stifled a giggle.

"Don't be so rude Emmett." Emmett groaned when Esme hit him but kept playing. He waved one hand at me without turning around.

"Hey Bella," he said, returning his hand quickly and killing someone on the television. Edward stepped around Esme and came to stand in front of me.

"Hi," he said. It was simple and short but I smiled at it.

"Hey," I said. It was kind of forced and weird for us because Esme was standing right behind Edward. I didn't want to grab him and kiss him like a maniac in front of Esme. There are just some things you don't do when you first meet your boyfriend's parents. Like revealing that your sexual tension has been building for nearly a week now and it's painfully uncomfortable keeping your hands off their son.

"Okay sweetheart I'm going to go help Carlisle with dinner. Edward will show you around and when he's done you can meet him okay?" Esme was talking to me. I smiled at her and nodded.

"Oh, do you need any help with dinner? Or anything?" I asked, trying to be as polite and helpful as I could be. Esme waved her hand at me and shook her head.

"Absolutely not Bella. You're our guest this evening. We have everything under control, I promise. I'll see you in a while," she said to me, leaving the room. I heard her heels click down the hall as she rounded the corner and out of sight. Edward gathered me in his arms as soon as she left. The breath left my lungs as he crushed me into a hug.

"I missed you like mad. It's so not healthy that I can't stand to be away from you," he said, inhaling deeply. It tickled my neck when he breathed back out. My skin raised in goose bumps.

"I missed you too. And I love your mom by the way," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. He pulled me closer and laughed.

"I told you that you'd be fine. I think she really likes you too," he said to me. He set me back on the ground after a minute. "I didn't even hear the doorbell," he then said.

"Too caught up in killing 'little bitches'?" I said, putting this in air quotes. I'd heard Emmett refer to people as this quite frequently. Edward laughed at my use of the phrase.

"Yeah something like that. I'm sorry," he told me. He bent his head down when he gently placed both hands on either side of my face. His lips fervently pressed to mine in a kiss that I wasn't at all expecting. I hated when he did stuff like this me when we couldn't be really alone. I pulled away too quickly for either of our liking and gave him a hard stare.

"You're such a jerk," I breathed to him, pouting my lips. He took my pouted lip in between his teeth and pulled on it. I pulled it away and bit on it to keep it from him.

"Aw come on Bella. I haven't seen you in days," he said quietly, kissing my cheek. Damn you Edward Cullen. No persuasive begging.

"And if you're not careful I'll never be welcome back to this house again," I told him, pulling free of his grasp. He smiled the bloody beautiful crooked smile at me and took my hand. "You know my will power is practically non-existent Edward." He kept smiling.

"You think I haven't realized that by now?" He asked me, arching his eyebrow. I slapped him on the chest and ran past him into the living room. His hands hooked onto my waist and he slowed me down. I struggled against him to get to the couch first but naturally I lost. He had a good seventy pounds on me at least. He took up his old spot and patted his lap as Emmett took up the rest of the damn couch.

"Yo man...yo you, what's your name? Vampiresrock, yeah go down there...no not there!" Emmett was yelling into his headset, dragging his character all over the map shooting people and blowing them up with strategically thrown grenades. "Aw see man he _was _there! I told you to go there. Whatever man I got him." Emmett was like a professional at this game and it made me laugh. He was just so good that it almost made me sick.

"You can keep playing if you want," I told Edward. His character was sitting idly on the screen, facing a wall. "Really, play. Shut Emmett up, he's going crazy here." I picked Edward's controller up and passed it to him. I sat down on the small space that Edward had provided by scooting over. It wasn't that big of a space but I fit. Edward unplugged the headset and threw it on the coffee table. He resumed playing and I just watched him play...mesmerized. He was really good. He knew all the crafty hiding spots and was a perfect sniper, always going for the headshots.

"That's what I'm all talking about! You see that? Cullen's rule baby," Emmett yelled into the headset again. He was so funny when he was in his element that he made me laugh uncontrollably.

"Em shut it," Edward said, sniping another person in the head. Edward grinned at me but never took his eyes off the television. I watched him in awe the entire time. His hair fell dangerously into his eyes and he kept swatting it away. He bit at his lip habitually to focus on the game and his long and slender fingers moved over the controller and made me want to pounce on him. They way they moved...I just wanted it to be my body and not a controller that he was exploring. I was soon staring at his hands like an idiot. Focussing on the whiteness of his knuckles as his fingers pushed down on certain buttons. It was almost too much for me to bear.

"Will you relax? What's wrong?" Edward asked. I snapped back to a reality where Edward and Emmett were merely playing a violent video game. I felt stupid. I had been eyeing Edward like some object for the past ten minutes.

"I'm fine," I said, releasing the fists that I hadn't realized I had clenched. "Just...kind of cold," I lied. I didn't want to tell him that I was being a creep and staring at him shamelessly, fantasizing about things that I wanted him to do to me. He passed me the controller without another word and slipped out of his sweater. It was my sweater! I smiled widely as I slipped it on and zipped it up. It was so warm and smelling of Edward. He wrapped both arms around me and nuzzled his face into my hair.

"There. All better?" He asked. I nodded, kissing the middle of his throat.

"Toasty warm," I replied. He took the controller off my lap and let his hand linger for a minute longer than was entirely necessary. He smiled deviously at me and I shot him a glare. I mouthed the word 'asshole' at him and he smirked. He kissed me quick on the lips before resuming his game. I rested against the side of the couch, watching as Emmett and Edward continued to 'pown some noobs' as they liked to say. I was no less sexually frustrated and Edward just kept making it worse and worse. What a jerk. After what seemed like an hour of sitting on the couch watching them play and trying to keep my hands to myself Esme came back.

"Oh for heaven's sake. Edward did you even show Bella the rest of the house?" Esme asked, perching her hands on her hips. Edward glanced nervously over at Esme.

"Sorry. No. I forgot. Emmett was yelling at me. I'll do it after," he said to her. His eyes rarely left the game. Esme was getting irritated.

"I don't mind Esme, its okay."

"I'm sorry that Edward's manners have seemed to escape him at this time. He can be quite rude. Edward, Emmett, dinner is almost ready. I would like for both of you to stop playing this vulgar game and get ready for dinner please." Esme's tone was commanding yet gentle, and I felt the need to rise to my feet and go wash my hands although she hadn't directed her comment at me. Emmett continued to play without distraction while Edward hesitated beside me.

"Edward. Now. Please," Esme said again. She looked like she was saying it through clenched teeth. Edward immediately abandoned his controller on the table and shut off the Xbox.

"Aw dude. Not cool. We were doing so good." Emmett tossed his controller on the floor and whipped the headset beside it. When Esme saw the game turn off she left and went back to the kitchen.

"Mom's getting pissed Em so get the fuck up," Edward said. Emmett chuckled a little and got up, heading for the kitchen too. "I'm really sorry." Edward turned and I realized the apology was directed at me.

"What? Why are you sorry?" I asked. He ran his hand through his hair, shrugging.

"Because I was supposed to show you the house and instead we played the stupid game. Now she's mad at me." He frowned a little. I walked forward and placed a hand around his neck and another around his waist.

"It's okay. I'll see it after. If I have enough time because the house is bigger than Forks itself. You didn't tell me you were fucking loaded!" I said, smiling at him. He smiled back.

"Well then at least I know you don't love me only for my money," he said, securing his arms around my back.

"Nope," I said, shaking my head. "Just your looks." He gave me a face that was mock shocked and he kept smiling.

"Well then aren't you in for a treat? You get both," he said. The cocky bastard. I pressed my lips to his and smiled against his face. He literally was my other half. We always came up with the perfect retorts to each other.

"How did I get so lucky?" I asked him. He shook his head. He released me from his iron grip and took my hand, leading me out of the living room.

"I'm the lucky one," he told me. I blushed. I didn't usually blush that much anymore around him but at most things he said I just couldn't help it. He guided me down the hall, made a left turn and took me down another hall. I could hear voices and laughter and knew that we were approaching the kitchen. Edward and I entered into a massive, modern kitchen that made my jaw unhinge. It had all state of the art appliances and decor making it look stylish and new. Esme and the person I assumed to be Carlisle were near the stove and Emmett was on one of the stools that surrounded the large island in the middle of the kitchen. Edward took me over to the island and pulled out a stool for me. I sat down on it. Emmett sat on my right as Edward took up a spot on my left.

"So what's for dinner?" Edward asked. Grabbing a grape that was in a fruit bowl in front of us he popped it into his mouth. I watched the muscles in his jaw tense as he chewed. He glanced sideways at me and gave me a look of confusion. He was probably wondering why I had been staring at him since I got here.

"Well," the man that was most likely Carlisle turned and said. "Oh Bella, hello. I'm Carlisle." He strode gracefully over to me and extended his arm over part of the island.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you finally," I said to him. He smiled at me and looked the spitting image of Emmett. Carlisle of course looked much different but his face screamed Emmett. He had shockingly blond hair, even more blond than Rosalie's, and had features similar to Emmett. Carlisle's features were sharper than Emmett's, making him look older and serious. But when he smiled he lost all of those lines of wisdom and brought out the dormant Emmett in himself.

"It's nice to meet you too Bella. Edward has told us so much about you already." I blushed again of course. Did all he do was ramble on about me?

"I've heard," I said, glancing over at Edward. Carlisle laughed as he released my hand, clapping it on Edward's shoulder.

"And for dinner son were having ham. With of course vegetables and potatoes and a few other whatnots. Is that okay with you?" Edward shrugged and clearly feigned annoyance.

"I guess so." He rolled his eyes to add to his charade. I laughed at him. "Yeah dad sounds good," Edward said, smiling at him. Carlisle made his way back over to the stove where Esme was stirring something in the pot. I realized as I sat there analyzing their movements that everyone in their family moved with a certain grace. While Edward wasn't related to them by blood he had inherited certain habits. I could most definitely see Esme and Carlisle in Emmett, but he mostly resembled Carlisle. And yet while Edward wasn't related he and Esme shared certain structural qualities.

"So Bella," Carlisle began. Edward had taken up my hand that was on the island and was tracing circles with his forefinger. "Edward tells me that you wish to be an English major?"

"Oh, yeah. It's always been my favourite subject and I'm really enjoying it this year. I sort of want to take up something like journalism or...I don't know really. I like to write." Carlisle turned off the stove and took the pot he had to the sink, draining the water from it.

"Well I'm glad you know what you want to do with your life Bella. A career in writing could have many prospects for you. Hopefully you rub off on Edward and he figures out what he wants to do with that History major of his." Carlisle smirked at Edward. He had no idea what he wanted to do with his major once he got out of school, unlike me. Well I sort of had an idea.

"Come on dad. Can we not talk about me not knowing what I'm doing with my life for just one night?" Edward asked, tracing sad circles on the back of my hand. He had been frustrated before at not knowing what he wanted from life, but I knew it would come to him in time.

"Sorry Edward. I just don't want you to waste your time doing something that won't make you happy in the end."

"I know. And sorry I'm not the glowing prodigy like Emmett over here."

"Well man what can I say? Not all of us can have the looks, the brains and the ambition." Everyone in the kitchen laughed. Emmett was always the one to break any sort of building tension. And Edward taking the conversation to that point was dangerously teetering on awkward. Emmett of course was majoring in theatre and film studies. He had helped produce and run several school performances and knew the workings of the industry pretty well. He had one year to go before he graduated and could possibly be on to Hollywood to be something pretty great. So Edward saying he wasn't as good as his brother...not a good way to go.

We ate dinner five minutes after Emmett cleared the air. The food was exquisite of course, like everything else in the house. And during the whole meal there was never an awkward silence to endure or an embarrassing comment for me to blush at. Mostly we just talked of normal dinner table talk...school, life, T.V. Anything really. And Carlisle and Esme weren't like normal parents. They both actually reminded me of my parents. They were funny and hip and knew the inner workings of teenagers to a tee. Carlisle talked extensively about the hospital when I asked and it seemed just from his speech that he was the most experienced surgeon in the world. I could tell that he was passionate about his job and probably about everything else in his life. Edward seemed to draw some of his qualities from Carlisle too as he was like this as well.

"Oh Bella sit down. I've got this," Esme said. I had stood up and began gathering plates in my hands to clear the table. I felt that I needed to do something because they had prepared the meal.

"Esme please. You have done so much for me already. Just relax. I can clean up," I told her. She sat back down on the chair and allowed me to keep going. I glanced at her and saw that she was having some sort of silent conversation with Edward. After a few seconds Edward got up and started helping me. I smiled tiny bit; Esme was silently yelling at him to help me. I honestly loved her. We gathered as much as we could and took it to the kitchen.

"I think it's going pretty well," Edward said to me once we were out of earshot of his family. I nodded.

"I think I was crazy to have ever been scared to meet _them. _They're amazing," I replied. He smiled.

"I told you." I stuck my tongue out at him and went back into the dining room. Carlisle, Esme and Emmett were talking and I hated to interrupt.

"Esme would you like me to wash the dishes? Or run the dishwasher?" Esme smiled a warm smile at me and she looked almost as if she were going to cry by my simple question of how she wanted her dishes to be washed.

"Dishwasher would be great," she replied. "Are you sure you wouldn't like me to help?" I shook my head at her.

"No," I laughed. "I've got Edward to help me." He groaned at this and continued to gather plates and other dishes from the table. It only took us three trips to get everything from the dining room to the kitchen. Edward passed me some clear Tupperware containers to put the leftovers in. I put the leftovers in the fridge and helped Edward load the dishwasher. As we busied around the kitchen I had a warm feeling in my stomach. We were acting almost like a married couple. Cleaning up together after dinner. We would wash the dishes together and laugh and talk about our day. After which we would go and watch a movie or T.V. Then we'd grow tired and lifeless on the couch and eventually make our way to bed. We'd snuggle up to each other the way we always did and I would listen to the soothing snores of Edward as I drifted to sleep myself. This daydream of my life with Edward had a stupid smile plastered on my face, but I couldn't stop it. Because I _knew _that this would be our life someday.

"What has got that beautiful smile on that face of yours?" Edward asked, closing the dishwasher and pressing start. I smiled wider if it was possible.

"You," I replied. He rose and eyebrow.

"What about me?" He asked suggestively. I smacked his arm.

"Behave yourself," I warned. His eyes smouldered into mine and I had to look away. I didn't want to jump him in his kitchen. "And I was thinking...about you and me...and having our own place to wash dishes in." I must have been tomato red because my cheeks burned when I admitted to my fantasy. It wasn't silly. I knew this. But it just made me feel silly saying it out loud.

"And why is this making you blush? You know I want that too." He brushed his thumb along my cheek like he always did and rested it at the side of my face. I nuzzled into his hand deeper, resting his hand between my shoulder and my face.

"You really do?" I asked. My question seemed futile because I knew what his response would be.

"Of course I do Bella. I want to have my own place with you so I can wake up and see you everyday. I want to make dinner with you and wash the dishes afterwards. And you know I won't protest to some harmless water fights." He smiled at me and I released his hand.

"I'll be sure to own lots of white shirts then," I told him, biting my lip. I couldn't help but fuel his lust sometimes. He really brought it on himself. He growled.

"Bella you are so dangerously taunting me right now. And why did you wear something so...sexy?" He asked, fingering the bottom of my shirt. "You know it's my favourite colour." I stepped on my tip toes and snaked my arms around his neck. I planted a soft kiss on his mouth.

"Why do you think I wore it?" I asked, my face an inch from his. I stepped down and away from him. Being close to him was beginning to be too much without being able to kiss him and hold him like usual. He took up my hand and we left the kitchen, going back into the dining room. When we entered everyone else was just leaving their seats.

"Who's up for a board game?" Emmett boomed. "Were leaving it up to you Bella." I made a funny face at Edward and he shrugged. Board games were pretty fun but I hated to choose for everyone. Well all made our way to the living room and Emmett went over to a large chest. He pulled open the lid and rummaged.

"Okay. So we have Clue, Monopoly, Scrabble, Cranium, and Headbanz..." I contemplated which one. Monopoly was long. Scrabble was just words. Cranium was fun. Clue was fun. Headbanz? I had no clue what the hell that was.

"What's Headbanz?" I asked. Emmett pulled out a large red box and grinned.

"We have to play this. You'll love it."

I sat down on the floor next to Edward while Esme and Carlisle took the couch. Emmett sat down on the other side of me, making a full circle. I quickly found out that Headbanz was a nearly embarrassing game to play. You wore these plastic blue head bands on your head. You had to pick a card either labelled 'What', 'Who', or 'Where' and stick it on your head band. Of course you couldn't see what, who or where you were. The object of the game was to ask yes or no questions to decipher what your card was. I was nervous at first because I didn't know what kinds of questions to ask...but I quickly learned of some helpful questions. I looked at the people around me. Edward was George Washington. Emmett was a beach ball. Esme was Toronto. Carlisle was a U.F.O. And I...was a mystery. It was Emmett's turn because he insisted to go first all the time.

"Okay...wait I'm a 'what' right?" We all told him yes.

"Okay. Am I found in the house?" We all replied with no.

"So outside?" We replied with yes.

"Am I...an animal?" We replied with no.

"Am I alive at all?" We replied no. Emmett groaned.

"What the hell. Am I...I don't know...am I a vehicle?" I laughed at him, so did Edward. But we all replied no. That's when the timer ran out. When the timer ran out everyone in the group was to give Emmett one word clues as to what he was. But words in the name were not to be used. I was first. I thought about what to tell him.

"Sand," I said. Emmett repeated the word like a hundred times.

"Umbrella? Towel? Bathing suit?" He guessed. We all shook our heads no at his guesses. He was getting closer though. It was Edward's turn for a clue.

"Bouncy?" Edward said it like it was a question. Sure beach balls were bouncy. Emmett repeated this word too.

"A ball?" He asked. God he was so close! "Wait but what does that have to do with sand?"

"Volley," Carlisle then said.

"Volley ball?" Emmett said. "Wait no. A beach ball volley ball?"

"It was a beach ball," I told him. He took the card off his head and threw it at the table.

"Man that's freaking hard." I laughed, but really shouldn't have. I was next.

"Okay what am I again? A 'what'?" Everyone nodded in agreement. The 'what's' seemed to be the hardest.

"Okay, am I found in the house?" They all replied with yes but I only met Edward's eyes.

"Um, am I an appliance?" I asked. Edward laughed a little but shook his head.

"Am I furniture?" I asked. Again with a no. I racked my brain. This game was hard.

"Am I a decoration of some sort? Like a pillow or a painting or something?" Edward looked away and thought about the question.

"You are more of a decoration than anything else I think," he said to me. Okay so I was some sort of decoration.

"Am I a candle? Or a vase?" Both with no. The timer was up then. Time for clues.

"Light," Edward said. Light? A lamp?

"A lamp?" I replied. Well that isn't really a decoration now is it Bella? I cursed myself a little.

"Cover," Carlisle said. Light...cover. A cover for a lamp is a...lamp shade?

"Lamp shade?" I guessed. Edward smiled and nodded. I pulled the silly card off my head and looked at it. I had been a lamp shade. Edward of course guessed who he was in a matter of seconds. Carlisle took a while to get U.F.O – the 'what's' were fucking hard. And Esme of course got hers within seconds as well. We kept playing for a few more rounds. The game was hilarious and some of the cards were ridiculous. The animations on the cards were sometimes funny too. After I had guessed 'Killer Bee' and put another stupid 'what' on my head everyone burst out laughing. Edward was practically killing himself. Apparently my card was funny? I couldn't imagine what would be so funny on this card to have Edward laughing like he was.

This time around Emmett was Atlantis. I was...a mysterious 'what' that was apparently hilarious. Edward was a car phone. Carlisle was Sigmund Freud. And Esme was Godzilla – which made me laugh. Emmett guessed his after a minute of trying and picked out a new card. I was eager to see what was so funny about my card. I began guessing, and I soon deduced that this card was impossible to figure out.

"Okay so I'm found _mostly _in the house. I'm not alive. I'm not furniture, an appliance, a decoration or clothing. But I am worn on the body?" I asked. I was confused as hell and Edward and Emmett were killing themselves. I furrowed my brows. The timer was up. Edward gave me my one word and my cheeks burned furiously at it.

"Sex," he said to me. I just stared at him. My cheeks were on fire as realization dawned on me.

"I am _not _a condom," I said. I ripped the card off my head and watched the word condom dance across the top. I threw it onto the table and joined everyone else in laughing at me. How fucking embarrassing. "I can't believe that's even a card," I said through the laughter.

I had to admit: the game was fun. We played for over an hour and I continued to get better at it. The 'what's' were hard and I hated picking them. But we all just had fun and laughed at and with each other. When you think of wealthy people and celebrities you always think that they do such glamorous things with their money. Seeing Carlisle and Esme with us kids made me abandon my thoughts completely. Sure they had money, but they also had a family. They were normal. Just like Edward said they were. And I was a moron. They were these humble people with hearts as big as their home, who just loved to hang out with their sons. I was overwhelmed with emotion sitting in their living room, playing a silly board game with them. It was a small activity but it spoke volumes of who they were as people. These were the people that I would someday call my family.

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A/N: So Headbanz is an amazing game. If anyone's ever played it you know how frustrating and fun it is.

**Reviews from you guys are always awesome, and they're extremely encouraging. I'm thankful to those who review regularly : ) you know who you are and I thank you. **


	23. Burning Up

**A/N: So sorry this took longer than normal. I've been working like crazy these past four days. Morning shifts are killers. Anyways this chapter is all in Edward's POV because I ranted like mad in BPOV last time! So read and enjoy! Next chapter will be sooner. I promise. **

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E.P.O.V

Esme hugged Bella for what seemed like forever. I could tell that she really liked her.

"You drive safe okay? And please call Edward when you get home to let us know that you're alright." Bella smiled at me over Esme's shoulder. She had been so fucking worried it would have been laughable had I not been so concerned about her having some sort of anxiety attack.

"Okay Esme. I promise I'll call when I get home." Esme finally let her go and Carlisle shook Bella's hand.

"It was so nice to finally meet you Bella. I expect we'll be seeing you again sometime soon before the break is over?" Bella looked to me. Of course she was welcome back?

"I hope so," Bella replied. Carlisle and Esme said their goodbyes and left me and Bella alone in the hall. I hated that I hadn't had much time to myself with her, but Christmas was family time. And if a lot of time was spent apart from family Esme would have my fucking head.

"So...that wasn't so bad was it?" I asked. She hugged me and rested her head on my chest.

"No. But playing that game...I can't believe that's actually a card! What are the chances that I would pick that?" I couldn't help but laugh. Because that game is funny for the sole reason that you don't know what you are. And the fact that Bella was a condom and had no idea just made it all funnier.

"I got a kick out of it," I said, still laughing. She did her adorable little pouting lip thing at me. Why must she always do shit like that to me? I couldn't help but kiss her. She parted her lips in time with mine and her tongue found my tongue. I held her close to me and tilted my head to deepen the kiss. I didn't want to let her go but I knew that I had to. The storm was only going to get worse the later it got, and I didn't want to put her in any more risk of crashing than she already was. I kissed her for another minute, knowing I would miss her ten times more when she left this time. But she was the one to pull away this time around.

"I have to go," she said sadly. I nodded against her forehead. "I don't want to...but I have to."

"I know. And please call me when you get there." Now she nodded.

"Promise. And tomorrow I'm going to Sue's with Charlie. He said you can come if you want." Her eyes met mine and they were hopeful. I wanted to try to spend as much time with her as I could. And I kind of did want to meet Charlie's fiancée.

"Okay. Let me know details when you call." She reached up on her toes and kissed me again. She squeezed her arms that were still around my waist and finally let me go. I let her go with much reluctance. She smiled at me and mouthed an 'I love you' before leaving out the door. I watched her from the front window as she got in her truck and coaxed it to life. She really needed a new one. But she loved her ancient truck and I was sure that Esme and Carlisle would kill me if I tried to buy her a new one. I watched her back out and leave my driveway – she always took a piece of me with her when she left. I turned back around and locked the door. I made my way back to the living room; Emmett wanted to play Call of Duty again. Who was I to say no? There was nothing else to do right now.

"Edward?" Esme called. I spun on my heel and saw her coming down the stairs that led to the main foyer.

"Yeah mom?" I asked. She made her way over to me and looked almost nervous...it was strange. "What's up?" She composed herself now and looked like a mom – she had that motherly air about her right now.

"Honey. I just wanted to tell you how much I absolutely adore Bella." I smiled at her. I knew Esme would just love her. "But..." I gulped. 'Buts' are never good.

"But what?" I encouraged.

"Edward I think that girl is in love with you." I shrugged. Yeah...so what? I'm in love with her too.

"Okay...?" I said, not sure what her point was. "And?"

"Well...I don't know. I just thought you should know that I can tell she's in love with you. And I know that you talked about her a lot. But honey I don't think you should continue to see this girl if you don't have the same feelings back." I gave her a look that was riddled with amusement.

"Mom, please! What did you tell me before? Huh? About me not ever being this happy? And about me never talking so much in my god damn life? Yeah. So you don't think I'm in love with her too?" As Esme heard me declare my fucking undying love for Bella she was stunned to silence. She just stared at me, and I stared back.

"Edward...you're...in love?" She asked me.

"Can you not tell?" She stepped back and examined me. I didn't mean my fucking body right now? But being around Bella changed me. Like Renee said...we were like magnets. We gravitated towards each other.

"How am I so oblivious sometimes?" She asked with a giggle. "Honey I just wanted to make sure that you were serious about her. Because she's such a sweet girl and I really like her."

"Mom I've never been so serious about something in my entire life." Esme's eyes brimmed with tears. Everyone and their mother cried when I mentioned how much I loved Bella. Who didn't cry? Alice...pretty much. Renee...definitely. Now Esme. She stepped back towards me and reached her arms around my neck. She hugged me and cried into my shirt.

"Edward I'm so happy that you've found Bella. And please promise me you'll keep her. She's so good for you. I've never seen you abandon your video game for anyone," she said, laughing now. I laughed too. It was true. I had sort of just left it there to see her. I normally would have never done that before. I used to be so focussed on the game that I wouldn't even hear anything else but the sounds coming from the T.V. But when Esme said that Bella was here I didn't want to do anything else but see her. The video game was completely disregarded. But then I fell in love with her even more when she insisted that I play and she simply sat there and watched me – so I showed off my skills as a geeky sniper. I felt like a complete dork, having the best kill-death ratio on the team, Emmett close behind me. But she didn't care. She just sat there and watched, and laughed like the amazing girlfriend that she is.

"Mom I'm not planning on letting her go, ever. Believe me." Esme lifted her head off my shoulder and pulled back. Her tears were staining her soft, smooth cheeks but they were no longer leaving her eyes. She smiled at me.

"Good. Because I like her." She hugged me again once before letting me go. "Let me know when she calls. I want to know that she's home."

"Okay I will," I said with a laugh. Esme patted my arm affectionately and went back upstairs. I made my way to the living room to play Call of Duty with Emmett. He was already killing 'little bitches' when I entered. I watched; my mind half with the game and half thinking about Bella. Watching Emmett play and remembering how I had just left my controller, I realized just how much of an effect Bella had on me. I mean sure I knew she was different and like no one I had ever met. But honestly sometimes when I was playing video games I didn't even have a touch on reality. But her name...it was like a beacon shining in the darkness. I heard 'Bella' and nothing else mattered.

---

I passed the border between Forks and La Push. Charlie was sitting in the passenger seat of my Volvo while Bella sat in the back. She was being the biggest tease of life and I wanted to throw Charlie out of the car and take Bella right here. Taking the cruiser to Sue's seemed silly and Bella's truck was really only fit for two people, so I insisted on driving. Of course Charlie was given the front seat, and I'm sure Bella would have taunted me either way. But looking at her frequently through the rear-view mirror, out of Charlie's eyesight...so not good for me. I swear to god. If she crossed and uncrossed her legs one more time I was literally going to go mad. She knew she was getting to me too.

"Alright. Now just turn down that street there and it's the third house on the left," Charlie said. I followed his directions and in a matter of seconds I was pulling into a narrow driveway with only one other car occupying it. I cut the engine and we all left the car. Charlie took off ahead of us while I waited for Bella to get out of the back seat.

"That was a fun drive huh?" she asked, a big smirk plastered across her face. I glared at her.

"Like I've said before; you'll get yours. And my dear you know how you get. I can control myself better than you can." I winked at her and took her hand. She 'humphed' beside me because she knew it was true. I could tease just as bad as she could and she always caved first. We made our way up the steps to the small but inviting house. The door had been left open. Bella entered first and pulled me in after her. The house sort of reminded me of the inside of Bella's. It was small and cozy – it felt more like a home than my house did. My house was too big; it wasn't necessary to have such a large home. Upon entering I heard several different voices speaking at the same time. Bella slipped her boots off and I did too. We hung our coats up on the banister and she took up my hand again. She towed me to the kitchen where Charlie, Sue and two kids were gathered. Sue was a woman not much taller than Bella. She had long, almost black hair that was hanging in curls down to the middle of her back, and had shocking blue eyes embedded in her copper-toned skin. She was rather good looking for an older woman. I looked to the younger girl sitting in one of the chairs surrounding the table. She had hair and eyes like her mother, and she was equally as pretty. And there was a boy even younger than the girl sitting next to her – he didn't have blue eyes like the other two but I could see the resemblance.

"Bella!" Sue said to her. Bella released my hand and hugged Sue.

"Congratulations," Bella said. Sue smiled over her shoulder. "I'm glad he finally did it. About time huh?" She joked. Sue pulled out of the hug and laughed. Charlie laughed too. Bella took Sue's hand and examined the ring. They exchanged a smile.

"Hey Leah. Seth," Bella said. So the girl was Leah and the boy was Seth. "Oh. Sue this is Edward. My boyfriend." I stepped further into the kitchen, to Bella's side.

"It's nice to meet you Edward," Sue said. She extended her hand and I took it.

"Same to you. And congratulations on the engagement," I told her. I had already given my kudos to Charlie.

"Thank you." She smiled warmly at me. "And these are my children. This is Leah, and Seth." They both gave me small nervous smiles and waves. I nodded in their direction.

"Alright. Well why don't you children go get acquainted and Charlie and I will fix something for lunch." She was addressing everyone now and she immediately busied herself with things around the kitchen. Bella walked to the table and took a seat next to Seth. I took a seat on the other side of Bella.

"Hey Bella," Seth said. He smiled wider now and he looked much younger than we were. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good rug rat. What about you?" Seth chuckled a little bit.

"Same. How's school?"

"Good. Glad to be home though," she replied. "And don't be shy around Edward. He's cool." I smirked. Seth nodded and held out his hand.

"I'm Seth." I shook his small hand. He was a lot tinier than us too. Well a lot tinier than me anyways.

"Edward," I replied. I noticed that Leah was being exceptionally quiet. I didn't know if she was usually like this. Bella answered my silent question.

"Leah you okay?" Bella asked. Leah had been fingering a small piece of the tablecloth with a frown on her face.

"Not really. But I don't really want to talk about it. I don't want to ruin my mom's day and all." Her tone was almost bitter. Seth leaned over to us and whispered.

"Paul broke up with her again." Bella gasped. I...didn't know what the hell the significance of that was? But breaking up is never good.

"Aw Leah. I'm sorry," Bella said. Leah shrugged.

"Whatever. His loss. I'm done with all of this. But I don't want to ruin this day."

"I hate to say it but your mood isn't exactly the brightest anyways." Bella looked at me in shock. It had just kind of slipped out of my mouth. I glanced over to Leah. She was staring at me with a gaping mouth. _Fuck_. It was fucking rude of me to say that to her. I expected her to slap me or something. I was such a moron for just speaking my mind like that. To my surprise though Leah started to laugh. Bella went wide eyed along with Seth.

"You know I think I like you already. So blunt. Like me." Leah smiled. I couldn't help but smile back. I thought for sure that she was going to kick my ass. Bella laughed and shook her head next to me. We left the kitchen a minute later to go into the living room. Bella sat on the couch and I sat beside her. Leah sat beside me and Seth sat on the small chair beside the couch. We just sat there for a while; talking and watching T.V. I learned that Seth was merely fifteen years old while Leah was a year younger then Bella and I. They both lived here with their mother on the reserve. Their dad had died a few years ago from a heart attack which left them all stranded. And who was there to pick up the pieces of their shattered life? White Knight Charlie to the rescue, of course.

After what seemed like an hour of talking and joking, Charlie and Sue called us all in to eat. They had prepared several trays of sandwiches and other small finger foods. We all sat and ate, and pretty much talked about the wedding. Sue already had most of it planned out. Leah was going to be the maid of honour and Sue had asked Bella to be a bridesmaid, which she had of course agreed to. Sue had already chosen the colour and style for the dresses. The wedding wasn't going to be big, but Sue wanted Leah's and Bella's dresses to match. They had also already planned that it was going to be in Bella's backyard. Something small and humble with only a small amount of family and friends as guests. Charlie had also mentioned that he had asked his best friend Billy Black to be his best man.

"Oh that's great. Of course he said yes. Leah you're just going to have to push him down the aisle." Bella had told me that Billy was in a wheel chair from an accident that his wife had died in years ago. He was left paralyzed from the waist down. Everyone laughed at Leah when she groaned. She'd have to push a grown man down the aisle at her mother's wedding. It was pretty funny.

"Fine," Leah huffed.

"And Edward," Charlie began. He cleared his throat and looked over to me. "Since Sue has Bella as her bridesmaid she needs someone to walk down the aisle with her. I was wondering if you would...you know..." He trailed off and cleared his throat again. "Would you like to be a groomsman at the wedding?" I stared at Charlie. Speechless was hardly the word. I scrambled for my voice.

"Wow. Yeah, sure. I'd love to," I said, stuttering all over the place. I had never been asked to be in a wedding before. And now I was Bella's dad's groomsman. Holy shit. I felt Bella's hand squeeze my knee under the table and I looked to her to see her suppressing a smile. I was glad to be on her dad's good side. Considering the fact that I was sleeping with his daughter...he should want to rip my fucking head off. Not that he was aware of this fact.

"Good." Charlie said this with a faint smile.

"And what about the guest list? I know it's early to be thinking about, but do you know who you want to invite?" Bella asked, taking another carrot and dipping it in the creamy sauce. She popped it in her mouth and chewed on it. I just loved to watch the slight tensing of her jaw with every bite. I really missed not being alone with her.

"Well of course my sister, and her daughter Emily. My parents. The Black's – Billy, Rebecca and Rachel. Oh, the Call's. The Ateara's. Paul's family of course. And who else Charlie?" Sue rifled off the people she wished to invite. I noticed that Leah tensed considerably at the mention of Paul's name.

"A few guys from the station. The Weber's, Cheney's...and oh yeah. The Newton's. And of course Alice is invited...and that Jasper too if he wants." Bella's fingernails dug into my jeans at the names that Charlie was listing. I recognized Newton – that fucker was dead when I met him.

"So you mean...that Angela and Ben and Mike are invited?" Bella asked. I noticed she was trying to keep calm. Her face was hard and furious. I recognized the name Ben for some reason. I knew that Mike was the utter moron who was stupid enough to drive Bella away. Oh well. His loss is my gain.

"If they would like yeah," Charlie replied. Apparently he didn't notice the rigidity Bella was desperately trying to shake off. It wasn't working on me though; I could see right through her facade. And not just because she was clawing desperately at my knee with her nails.

"That's cool," she said, relaxing her shoulders ever so slightly. But her hold on my knee didn't lessen any. I slipped my hand over hers and pried it off, feeling the loss of circulation in my leg. She held my hand tightly under the table and I tried to soothe her by tracing patterns on the back of her hand. We continued to talk of the wedding for only a few minutes before Charlie and Sue began to clean up. We kids went back into the living room while they tidied and Bella finally unleashed.

"Oh my god!" Bella said to me, trying to keep her voice down. "I can't fucking believe that they're invited! It's going to be horrible. And of course Mike's going to show up because I'll be there and he always tries something. How great...just great." Bella was speaking at a mile a minute and she was making my head spin.

"Okay Alice," I joked. She, however, was not amused in the least.

"It's not funny Edward. Mike is a moron. You know that." She eyed me, waiting for me to respond. I knew she was right; the guy sounded like an idiot.

"I know Bella. But please calm down. You don't need to get so worked up. It's still like six months away. And I'll be with you. I swear if he looks at you the wrong way he's done." Bella smirked at me a little. Seth and Leah were just sitting around us, listening to the issue.

"But that's not the worst part Edward," Leah said. My eyes shifted to her.

"What do you mean?" I asked. She darted her eyes to Bella. Bella nodded at Leah to continue.

"Well you see Alice sort of dated Ben for a long time. And...Well he cheated on her...with Angela." I made wide eyes at Leah. I knew I recognized the name somewhere. I swallowed hard. This wedding was rapidly turning into some horrible thing that I no longer wanted to be a part of. I knew I'd be like a rabid dog wanting to rip Mike's head off. Bella would be a nervous wreck worrying about Mike, and worrying about how Alice is doing. Alice would be going crazy over seeing her ex and the girl that he cheated on her with. And Jazz...Well him I don't know. Either he'd be an animal like me, or he'd simply try to soothe Alice like the calm motherfucker he was. I thought the latter would be more suitable to Jazz. I could just picture the wedding now – it wasn't pretty.

"Oh...okay. Maybe I jumped the gun. Continue your freak out." Bella laughed at me and shook her head.

"Oh god. This isn't going to be pretty," she said.

"You're telling me!" Leah hissed. "Paul's family's invited." Seth frowned next to Leah. He most likely didn't care much about what we were saying – it was all teenage drama. He probably didn't have these types of problems yet. Watch out young Seth.

"I know Leah. It's going to be rough. I'm sure we'll make it through. We got to stick together...battle our demons...or something like that." Bella was just rambling now. She was getting all nervous for something that was months away. I lifted my hand to her shoulder and pushed her dangling locks behind it. I slid my fingers underneath her thick veil of hair and soothingly rubbed the back of her neck. Her eyes closed and she sighed. If she wouldn't calm down on her own I would make her.

"Yeah Leah," Seth said. "Don't worry. You got me and Edward to back you up." We all laughed at Seth now. He was pretty confident for such a small kid.

"That's right," I agreed. Seth stuck his fist out at me and I bumped mine with his. I couldn't stop laughing – this kid was funny. Just then I heard a knock at the door. Seth jumped up.

"I got it!" He yelled to everyone in the house. He returned a minute later and looked nearly mortified.

"Uh Leah..." We all looked at her, while she looked at Seth. "It's Paul."

Leah's face, while copper-toned, drained of its colour. She looked like she was going to be sick or something. She shot me and Bella weary glances before getting to her feet. She placed both hands on her stomach and breathed in deep before leaving the living room. Bella scurried over to the door to eavesdrop – what a sneak. I followed her and tried to catch parts of the conversation.

"Leah..." I heard a deep voice say – the voice of Paul.

"No Paul...you know what. I just...I can't even believe you right now." Leah sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "You were the one that broke up with me remember?" I heard her voice crack. I felt bad for her.

"It was a mistake Leah. I'm sorry. Please...take me back. I love you." Leah sobbed now. Paul's voice sounded almost pained. I didn't know who to feel sorry for. Of course we didn't know his side to the story.

"Leah please," Paul begged. "Look. I was having my own problems. But I've realized that I need you in my life. Please." I heard Leah sob again. Bella's face was contorted. She looked sad. No sooner did I notice this than she left the couch and went to the front door. I peered around and watched her go to Leah. Bella took her in an embrace and Leah sobbed violently.

"Paul I think you should leave," Bella said. His face was most definitely pained – I recognized it. He hated the sight of seeing the girl he loved crying because of something stupid he did. I could relate to the poor bastard.

"But Bella please," Paul said. Bella shook her head.

"She'll call you later. Just right now isn't a good time." Paul pursed his lips, but nodded.

"Leah for what it's worth I'm sorry. Please call me later." He ducked out of the door without another word and left. I now felt bad for him. I felt bad for both of them. Bella closed the door and kept her other arm around Leah. All I could see was the long, black hair of Leah splayed across Bella's shoulder. Leah's face was buried in the crook of Bella's neck. Bella was being an absolute doll and was rubbing Leah's back and cooing softly in her ear. Seth and I just sat tensed on the couch, waiting for Leah to stop crying. After ten minutes or so Leah calmed down. She finally lifted her face and her eyes were red and puffy. She wiped her face dry and glanced to the kitchen. She shook her head...I assumed that either Sue or Charlie was there to witness her breakdown. She slowly ambled her way back into the living room with the assistance of Bella. I moved over to allow her to sit on the couch and she dropped lifelessly onto it. She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them, rocking herself back and forth. Her breathing was mildly erratic and she seemed to be trying to calm it. Bella came and sat down on my lap. I wrapped my arms around her and we both watched as Leah gradually calmed herself. Seth was staring at his sister with much concern and I admired him. Although he was young he seemed to be attuned with Leah and her feelings to a great degree. He acted much older than he looked.

"You okay?" Seth asked after a while. Leah brought her bloodshot eyes to Seth's and she smiled at him.

"Yeah bud, I'm okay," she replied. "I'm sorry about that...Edward you especially." I waved my hand at her.

"Oh don't be. Leah its okay. I mean...that was all kind of unexpected." She rolled her eyes as if to say 'yeah, no shit'.

"So what are you going to do? I mean...maybe he's got a good reason for breaking up with you. I think you should hear him out...give him another chance." Bella said this and rubbed her hand on my leg at the same time. I knew she was referring to us. I had fucked up and she had given me another chance because we belonged together.

"I want to. I really do. But...I mean how do I know he's not just going to break my heart again? I don't think I can handle that." Bella sighed.

"You _don't_ know. You just have to trust him and take a chance Leah. Do you love him?" She nodded sadly.

"Yes."

"Well then I think you should at least give him another chance. If for no other reason than to make your pain go away. You're miserable without him – I can tell." Leah grinned a little at Bella but she nodded.

"I know I am. I've gotten Seth all depressed." Seth chuckled.

"It's true. I've been moping with her all over the house since the break started." We all laughed. I liked Seth a lot. He kind of reminded me of a young Emmett. Always break tensions, positive, bright, funny, too smart for their own good. Leah finally agreed that she would give Paul a second chance and scampered off to call him. Charlie and Sue I assume had been eavesdropping because they came in as soon as Leah left. Sue was crying and Charlie was calming her. It seemed that Leah and Sue were close, and she didn't like seeing her daughter hurt. Bella explained things – to a point. She obviously didn't want to give them all of the details.

After another hour of mindless chatter it was nearing five o'clock. I had to be home for dinner. It was Esme's orders that I be home for every family dinner. I was permitted to miss one but Bella wanted that to be Christmas Eve. She wanted me to spend that with her as we wouldn't see each other Christmas Day. I stood up to leave and I felt Bella's body protest. She almost refused to get up off my lap. It's not like I wanted to leave by any means...I _had _to. I bid my goodbyes to everyone, hugging Leah and Sue and bumping fists again with Seth. Bella walked me outside the front door.

"I hate this," Bella said sadly. I wrapped my arms around her to keep her from shivering. She wasn't wearing a coat.

"I know. I swear to god when we get back to school you and Jazz are switching fucking rooms. I don't even think he'll mind." She laughed into my neck, making my hairs stand up on end. "You think I'm joking." It wasn't a question it was a statement. I was more serious than she knew.

"No. I know you're serious." She nuzzled her face deeper into my neck and gently placed kisses wherever she could reach. She kissed up my neck and my jaw line, making her way slowly to my mouth.

"You're going to make me miss you more," I said. She frowned when she came to my mouth.

"I'm sorry. I just don't want you to go." I kissed her then, not wanting to leave her either. Her fingers made their way into my hair, pushing my face right against hers. Her nose grazed my cheek as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss. Her tongue pressed against mine and I wanted to scream and cry and shout at how much I didn't want to leave. These bits and pieces of Bella were enough to tide me over but weren't nearly enough to satisfy me. I needed more. My horribly unhealthy addiction to her was almost sickening, but I needed her as much as I needed air...or food. She was a necessity of life that I was being depraved of. I hated letting her go, but feeding my addiction would not sit well with Esme as I wouldn't be able to leave Bella. So...for the umpteenth time since we'd been home I pulled away. I groaned heavily in dissatisfaction.

"Text me later," she whispered. I nodded and my hair tickled her nose. She giggled quietly. "I'll miss you."

"Look after my heart," I told her. "I've left it with you." She exhaled sharply and her warm breath covered my face. She kissed me several times on the mouth, making it harder and harder for me to let go.

"I'll keep it safe," she said to me. I smiled against her mouth and kissed her again – silently thanking her. She always had my heart. I untangled myself from her a minute later and we just stared at each other. I memorized every feature, every line, every curve, every dip, and every freckle. I bent down and kissed her on the top of the head, knowing a kiss on the lips would be too much for me. We said our 'I love you's' and I descended the stairs, feeling her watching me as I retreated to the Volvo. I got in and she waved at me. I inwardly smiled and waved back. As I backed out of the driveway I watched her re-enter the house. Again...she took part of me with her as she left the porch.

---

"Dude! Fuck," I said, standing in a Victoria's Secret with Jasper. Women all around us were staring. Jasper didn't know what to get Alice for Christmas and he thought maybe something slutty and red would amuse her and provoke her. He was probably right. But I was fucking embarrassed as shit. I'd never been in a lingerie store before. And now here I was...with fucking Jazz. Being the carefree, 'I-don't-give-a-shit-what-people-think' type of guy, he could care a less that we were getting frequent stares and whispers.

"God, man. Chill," Jasper said to me, browsing through a section of garters and stockings. I rolled my eyes and shot them to the exit of the store. I judged the distance heavily. I only had a few bags and I guessed if I sprinted Jazz wouldn't be able to catch me. I contemplated this for a few minutes while I let Jasper roam, and I found that I calmed myself. He had suggested that I buy Bella something and I scoffed at him. She would fucking hit me upside the head if I bought her sexy lingerie...or would she? I shook my head. No. I wasn't going to buy Bella underwear? I figured that was something personal. And while I wouldn't buy her something from here, I had seen some things that I would definitely be suggesting to her to buy. I could just picture her sitting on my bed back at Dartmouth, sporting some slutty red piece; complete with garters and straps and stockings and...fuck. I shuddered thinking about it. The worst place to be fantasizing about her was in the middle of a fucking Victoria's Secret. I needed the fuck out of here. As if he were in tune with my thoughts, Jasper announced that he was done.

"It's so...Alice," I said, scrunching up my nose. I really didn't even want to think about Alice wearing something like that, but it was all fluffy and pink and just screamed Alice.

"I know eh?" Jazz said, looking mighty proud of himself. "I still think you should get Bella something man. I'm not going to regret buying Alice this." He said this wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. What a perverted Southerner Alice has turned him into. I laughed at him and followed his confident ass to the cash register. He paid for the outfit and I bolted out of the store as fast as he would let me. So far I had bought Emmett the newest issue of Playboy, a new sweater he said he'd wanted, and the newest instalment of Call of Duty. He'd been obsessing over getting it but never had the time to go out and actually get it. Esme and Carlisle always spoiled us so I wasn't getting Em too much with my own money. Along with this I had bought Alice a movie that she really wanted. She had hinted like there was no tomorrow that she wanted it. It was something called _Sixteen Candles. _I'd never seen it, but apparently she loved it. I had left Jasper for a while and bought him the newest _City and Colour _C.D, along with new picks for his guitar. I also planned on letting him teach me guitar in the New Year.

As for Bella – I hadn't finished with her present yet. So far during the break we had been home for five days – it was the twenty-first. Only four days until Christmas. And I had barely seen Bella since we'd been home. The last time I had seen her was yesterday at Sue's. We had no alone time and I amused myself largely by playing CoD with Emmett. Bella on the other hand had told me she'd been keeping herself entertained by re-watching every episode of _Friends _that ever aired. I had recently learned that she was a huge fanatic of that show. She had forgotten the seasons when she moved into residence and just took up watching them again. And I had seen her small assed T.V in her room. So...as of now I had bought her a bigger fucking T.V to put in her room. It was nothing huge or extravagant, but she needed it. She would probably get mad at me for getting her something so expensive but I didn't care. She allowed me two presents and she said that was it. So the T.V was one. The other was more personal and meaningful.

Yesterday at home Esme had asked if she thought it would be okay to give Bella a gift for Christmas. Sure she had insisted that I don't get her anything, but she never said that to Esme. After I told her yes Esme had shown me a small heart-shaped pendant that was meant to be secured to a necklace. She didn't have a chain and wanted me to get one. After thinking about it I decided to buy Bella a bracelet and put the charm on that instead. This way it was really only one present, and hopefully she wouldn't get too upset over it. The only thing I needed to buy now was Bella's bracelet. Emmett and I always went in on a gift for Esme and Carlisle, and I had already given him money to go buy it. We decided to have their wedding photo blown up and framed to go in the family room.

Thankfully and surprisingly my Christmas shopping had successfully only taken me one trip to the mall. Jazz and I walked into the jewellery store and I stood in front of hundreds of varieties of bracelets utterly clueless. The saleswoman wandered over to me.

"Can I help you with anything?" I continued to browse and nodded my head.

"Yeah. I'm looking for a bracelet. Perhaps something that a small charm could be secured to." I looked up to her then and her forehead creased in thought. She was a small woman, much older than me. Her bright, orange hair was secured in a pony tail at the back of her head and she was donning a pinstriped pant with a dark red blouse.

"I believe we have something that would be fitting over here," she said to me. I followed her to wherever it was she was leading me. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Jazz was just aimlessly browsing. "Here we have an assortment of gold and white gold pieces. Very lovely. Some are a bit pricey though." I waved my hand.

"That's not a problem. I don't have a limit. I just want something suitable." The woman smiled at me with batted eyelashes and went behind her little counter. She pulled up a bunch of bracelets that honestly looked all the same to me. The woman watched me intently, engaging me in conversation as I browsed the bracelets. I finally started focussing on them more and took a liking to one. It was white gold – apparently – and was a hundred and fifty dollars. It seemed like something that Bella would love, and it was something that the charm would fit on with ease. I envisioned the charm on the bracelet and couldn't wait to pair them together, making the perfect gift for Bella.

"I'll take this one," I said, pointing to the bracelet I wanted. The woman praised my choice and grabbed the bracelet, along with a small black, velvet box to put it in. She rang it up on the cash register and began talking about pointless things such as the weather and the holiday bustle. I just replied accordingly until she asked me who the bracelet was for – it was sort of personal.

"It's for my girlfriend," I replied. The woman whose name I had just learned was Victoria frowned.

"Well, I hope she likes it," Victoria said. She didn't sound at all like this is what she wanted. "That will be one sixty-three seventy-nine," she said. I pulled my credit card out of my back pocket and handed it to her. My bill this month would be fucking huge; I didn't care. I turned around and searched for Jasper. I saw him over near a selection of rings and pendants. I waved him over.

"Find one?" Jasper asked. I grinned.

"Yeah man. She'll love it." Jazz patted my back with force and grinned as well.

"And there you are," Victoria said. I turned back to her and she had my receipt and credit card, along with a small bag. I took them all from her.

"Thank you for helping me," I said to her with a smile. She didn't respond for a second. I furrowed my brows a bit in concern before she said anything.

"Oh you're welcome. Anytime. Have a great Christmas Edward." I nodded.

"You too. Happy Holidays."

Jazz and I left then, exiting the store as quick as we could. We were both done shopping and it was nearing dinnertime. Jazz was coming to my house for dinner to meet my folks and was staying the night. Alice had done her signature sad pout thing, like Bella, but Jazz had persuaded her to let him stay the night. So Jasper and I left the mall and made our way to the Volvo. I opened the door and shoved my bags inside, finding little room with the whole back seat being taken up by the box with the television in it. We left the Port Angeles mall and headed back to my house. I always found that conversation flowed easily between us. While Jazz and I didn't necessarily have too much in common, we always found something of interest to talk about. I couldn't fathom a person ever being really uncomfortable around Jazz. He was too laid back to be uncomfortable around. This is one of the many reasons why Jasper had become one of the best friends I had ever had in my life. I hadn't even made this close of friends in all my four years of high school. I had lucked out with a roommate, that's for sure. And while I had joked to Bella about her moving into my room with me...I think I'd miss my friend.

---

"What the hell?" Jasper said, furrowing his brows at the television screen. I burst out laughing, getting a massive stitch in my side as I watched Jasper play Call of Duty. He sucked. He had never played before in his life and couldn't walk in a straight bloody line.

"Dude," I managed to gasp. "Turn left...never mind." I laughed again as Jasper's character was killed. He growled at the television – I had never seen him so into something besides guitar before.

"Fuck!" Jazz then yelled. Emmett chuckled a bit beside me as he carried his team, like always. Jasper was in dead last; his kill-death ratio was horrible. "Oh screw this...I can barely turn around let alone shoot." Jasper frowned at the controller and passed it on to me. I played, trying to undo the damage Jasper had done. I came in third in the end, doing my best. Emmett turned off the game after that round and we all just sat back and relaxed, talking about pretty much anything. Emmett told me that he had gotten the present ordered for mom and dad yesterday and that it would be a few days. We prayed that it would be ready by Christmas Day. Jasper then told Emmett what he bought for Alice and Emmett high-fived Jasper with a grin on his face.

"That's awesome. Rose has one...they're just...great," he said. I saw him drift off into his own world as he thought about Rose. She unfortunately lived in New York, which was the complete opposite of Washington. She and Emmett both met at school. They were both in the same tutorial for their first year of film studies. Although they hit it off right away they've had some problems because of the distance. Despite that though they always managed to keep a healthy relationship. Rose would usually stay here for most of the summer and sometimes Emmett would leave for a few weeks to go back home with her. They tried their hardest to be with each other all they could.

"Did you buy something for Bella?" Emmett asked. I nodded.

"I got her a T.V and a bracelet. Mom wanted me to put this pendant on it." Emmett raised his brow.

"I mean did you get her something like what Jasper got?" I glared at Emmett and Jasper simultaneously.

"No I didn't," I told him. His brow was still shooting up into his hair line.

"Why not?" I rolled my eyes. "Is Bella not into that kind of stuff? I always thought she'd be the kinky type." Emmett tried to suppress his laugh. I stared with hard eyes into his. I didn't like when anyone talked about Bella in a sexual way...no matter who they were.

"I wasn't going to buy her underwear," I said curtly. Emmett still grinned.

"It's a solid investment man," Emmett said. "Can't you just picture it?" He stared off into space for a minute and my jaw dropped.

"Hey!" I yelled, throwing a pillow at him. "That's Bella! Stop thinking about her like that." Emmett threw his hands up in defence and laughed.

"Dude, chill. I saw enough of Bella when she was wearing you're shirt in the hall." My face turned a subtle shade of pink – that was embarrassing for the both of us. Jasper choked on his glass of water and went wide eyed. He hadn't heard this story? I suppose not. So I told him. He laughed, and so did Emmett. They were such dicks sometimes. But I suppose it was kind of funny in an awkward and ironic kind of way.

"You never told me that?" Jasper said, his laugh fading.

"It's not necessarily something I wanted to broadcast to the entire world."

"Well I'll broadcast my first time to anyone who will listen!" Jasper replied, grinning like a smug bastard. I shook my head at him.

"Well Bella was embarrassed. I didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was."

"Bella couldn't be uncomfortable around you if she tried," Jasper responded. I nodded my head, knowing that this was true.

"Well she's no Alice. You have the bubbly, loving every minute of life type of girl," I said. Jasper grinned from ear to ear.

"She's awesome. Did I tell you about that thing? Alice is kinky," Jasper said, winking an eye at me. I shuddered at the thought of that little porcelain doll of a girl being kinky in any way shape or form. "Anyways we did this thing where Alice like put her leg..." I covered my ears and shook my head. I kept repeating the word 'no' over and over. I _really _didn't need to hear this. I would never be able to look at Alice the same again. I uncovered them as I thought Jasper was finishing with his story. Emmett was impressed.

"So she's flexible then?" Emmett asked. Jazz nodded fervently. Obviously...Alice looked like she could bend in half if the occasion called for it. I shook my head again.

"What about Bella?" Emmett asked. Why must he insist on talking about my sex life? I mean I was more than happy with it but I didn't want mine and Bella's private business to be put out there for everyone to see. I shrugged.

"Yeah I guess she is." I felt my pocket vibrate a second later. "Speak of the devil," I said, grinning.

"That mean's Alice is home!" Jasper shrieked. It actually hurt my ears. I guess couples eventually do turn out to mimic one another. Jasper had sounded scarily like his other half. Jazz pulled out his phone and began typing. I flipped mine opened and saw a lengthy one from Bella. She and Alice had left early this morning for Seattle because Alice insisted that they go shopping there. I knew she'd rather have been any place but shopping in Seattle for the day, but she needed to buy gifts. And Alice was making her go. Her text ranted on and on, saying how busy it was and how she was so exhausted. I felt bad that she was so tired. It was a long day for her and I wanted to see her and make all of her tensions go away. So I called her. I left the room and dialled her number, walking into the hallway.

"Hey," her flustered voice breathed on the third ring.

"Hey you, how are you?" I heard something on the other end, a faint ruffling.

"Ugh, just...I don't know. I'm grumpy. Seattle was brutal! Why she thought it was a good idea is beyond me. And now I'm frustrated because I didn't find something that I wanted to buy you, and I'm frustrated because I haven't seen you. And...I just didn't have the greatest day." I slid against the wall and landed with my ass on the floor. I desperately wanted to see her. Since I didn't see her today I most likely wouldn't see her until Christmas Eve.

"I miss you so much," I whispered. She sighed.

"I miss you too. So get your ass over here right now Cullen!" She laughed at herself. I grinned; she always laughed at her own jokes.

"You have no idea how badly I just want to be there with you."

"Then come over. Now," she said, her voice unwavering. Was she serious? Because I would ditch this place right now if she wanted me to. But it was also ten-thirty? Oh well, fuck it.

"Seriously?" I asked.

"Seriously Edward. Get over here now. Before I go insane with frustration." Her tone was deep and seductive. I wasn't sure if she was trying to do that or was doing it accidentally. Or maybe I was just imagining it because I was as horny as fucking hell. I scrambled to my feet.

"If you're serious then I'm on my way," I said, running to the living room.

"I've never been so serious." Her tone proved this.

"I'm leaving now. What about your dad?" I asked, suddenly realizing a major flaw in this plan.

"He sleeps like the dead. Get your ass moving. If you're not here in forty-five minutes I'm starting without you." My stomach dropped and I stopped walking. I felt my skin tingle as it heated up. She was being so...dirty. "Hurry." My breathing was speeding up already and I wasn't even with her yet. I grabbed onto the wall to steady myself.

"I'll be there in half an hour," I growled, saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. I would speed the whole fucking way.

"Tell mom I'm going out for coffee with some friends," I said to Emmett as I rounded the corner into the living room. Emmett and Jasper both furrowed their brows, questioning what I was actually doing.

"In other words...?" Emmett said.

"In other words I'm going to Bella's and you're not telling mom." Emmett gave me a thumbs up.

"Make me proud," Emmett shouted. I mumbled him a hurried 'fuck off' and took off running. I shoved my boots on my feet and grabbed my coat, throwing it on however it fit. I rushed out the door to the Volvo and hastily brought it to life, not even waiting for the car to warm up before I took off.

**

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**

A/N: Let me know what you think! I wanted a little bit more of Emmett and Jasper because I love them. And I also want to tell everyone to watch the movie Sixteen Candles...it's amazing. If you like the Breakfast Club watch it.

**And just so everyone knows this one was so delayed because of work...and because I'm starting a new fic! It'll be posted probably with my next post of LFK...so if you enjoy my writing please read and let me know what you think. It's very different from this one. A bit more angsty and angry. I'll let everyone know when it's up. **

**Anyways reviews are always appreciated! **


	24. Holly, Jolly Christmas

**A/N: **Like I said...this chapter was sooner. I currently have nothing better to do than write. And I love it. Soon I'll have to juggle writing TWO fanfics, and work. : )

I would like to inform everyone that I have officially posted my second fanfic. It's called Forgive Me, Please. It's a very different from this...but it's an idea I've had for a while. Here's the little synopsis: **Edward and Bella are on-again-off-again. Alice and Jasper are step-siblings who want to be more. Rosalie is a new student from France. Emmett is...Emmett. Drama ensues as they struggle through their senior year.**

If you like my writing and want more once Last First Kiss is done I encourage you to try it out. I would appreciate anyone who is willing to read it : )

Just so you all know, I probably will have three more chapters after this one. Plus an epilogue. It's all already planned out.

So enjoy this chapter! (Lemons...of course)

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**B.P.O.V**

I sat in the middle of my bed, flipping through a magazine, anxiously waiting for Edward. I couldn't believe he actually agreed to come over here. Seattle had been brutal all in itself and I needed to see him before I just lost it. I suddenly realized that sneaking him up the stairs would be pretty risky, and if Charlie found us he'd have Edward's head. I tilted my head, cracking all of the bones in my neck, something I only did when I was stressed. How in the hell was this going to work? I heard a faint scratching coming from my window and tried to ignore it. I pulled out my phone and called Edward. No answer. I growled a little bit. What the hell were we going to do? I got up off the bed and paced, hearing the scratching still. I nearly bolted out the door when I heard a loud rap on the window. My heart was beating like crazy. I slowly made my way to my window. I pulled back the curtains a tiny bit and saw Edward perched on a snow covered branch outside. My face spread out into a wide grin. I unlatched the window.

"Edward what the hell?" I whispered. He smirked at me, climbing in the window.

"Well I parked down the road and I thought we would get caught if I came through the front door. And the tree is close to the window," he said. He looked so proud of himself for getting into my room all by his lonesome. He brushed a little bit of snow off his coat. "Actually it kind of concerns me how easy it was to get in here. I mean some random person could just climb the tree and get in here Bella." His tone was serious and scolding. But right now I didn't need some lecture. I certainly didn't want to talk. I closed my window and pretty much assaulted him. I quickly made to undo his jacket, discarding it wherever. His hands firmly grasped my waist as my lips found his. I felt him slip off his boots as our lips moved together in unison. His tongue penetrated my mouth, all warm and wet. I moved my fingers across his shoulders, desperate to feel every part of him that I missed most. They eventually found his hair that was getting a bit too long, and I tangled them deep into his hair, swivelling my head and pulling him closer. I swallowed his moan with my kiss and began backing up, to the bed. He followed with baby steps, his tongue never leaving my mouth. I lowered myself to the bed, making sure my lips never left his. After two weeks of not being really intimate I was dying to just be with him.

I sat down on the bed and Edward kneeled in front of me. He was the same height as me now. His tongue continued to explore my mouth, and I was eager for him to rip my clothes right off. He wasn't making any gesture to remove them though. This made Bella angry. I forced my tongue deeper into his mouth, coaxing a loud groan from deep within him. He wanted this just as bad? Why wasn't he doing anything? I lowered a hand from his hair, running it across the hard bulge on the front of his jeans. His hips pressed into my hand, letting me feel all of him. What did he want? Some foreplay or something? I removed my mouth from his and dropped it to his throat. His breathing was heavy and laboured as I kissed all down his neck. My mouth burned down his hot skin and his hands were feverishly gripping the back of my tank top. _Just take it the fuck off! _I kept rubbing my hand along the front of his pants, his hips mechanically moved with me. Soon I became even more frustrated because he wasn't doing much of anything.

"What...are you, waiting...for?" I asked him in a husky voice, my lips still grazing his neck. He pulled me closer, his fingers trailing down my spine through my shirt. I moved my lips up to his cheek and caught a glimpse of his pleasure-filled eyes. I stopped my kissing but continued the movements with my hand.

"I just...wanted to kiss you for a bit. We haven't been alone in _so _long. _Too _long," he said, drowning my mouth with his kiss again. I smiled against his mouth, realizing he was just trying to be sweet – which made me want him even more. I moved my hand up his jeans and began removing his belt. It came undone with ease, as well as his jeans, and I slid them down, off of his ass. He kept kissing me as he removed his pants. I was so close to him that I felt his hands go to the bottom of his shirt. He pulled it up, only breaking the kiss to pull it over his head. His lips were back to mine within seconds and he pulled me against his naked body, digging his tongue further into my mouth. My fingers pulled and yanked on his hair because of how aroused I was. His hands went to the back of my sweatpants and in one swift movement they were to my knees. It was like one of those tablecloth tricks. Edward just pulled and they came off, not affecting me in the least. He threw them to the side, pulling me closer now. I was sure that my wetness dripped down onto my bed, but as it collided with the heat of Edward's body I couldn't care about anything else but me and him. My hands left his hair in a flurry and gripped my shirt, tugging it up and over my head. I was braless, which made Edward very happy. As his teeth and lips and tongue grazed over my chest and nipples; I couldn't be quiet. I moaned loudly into the room and Edward placed his hand firmly over my mouth, silencing me. I kissed the inside of his palm, tasting the small amount of sweat that was there. He kept kissing and licking all down my stomach. I parted my legs instinctually and pushed him even closer to me.

He dropped his head down further and I gasped when his tongue stroked me firmly. I shuddered and Edward's hand pushed me down so I was lying on the bed. I didn't protest – I just lied down, trying with all my might not to make any noise. Sure Charlie was a heavy sleeper but I'm sure my moaning could wake the dead. Edward's tongue swirled around and did all sorts of fantastic things. I started shaking only a few minutes later, my fingers tangling into his hair in intense pleasure. I needed this more than anything right now because not being with him was pure torture. I suffered every minute that I couldn't just be with him like we were at school. Edward's tongue left my clit and his fingers quickly replaced it. He kissed all along my stomach and up to my throat as his fingers entered me and worked delicately. He bit the side of my neck, giving me goose bumps and sending me into convulsions. He gently placed his body on top of mine, moving his fingers with experience and precision, hitting all the right spots exactly how I wanted him to. I firmly gripped the back of his head and forced his tongue in my mouth right before I climaxed. My legs instinctively closed around his hand, and my tongue moved frantically about his mouth as my much needed orgasm consumed me. His fingers slowed and eventually stopped as I began trying to breathe like a normal human being again.

I found his mouth again and now dropped my hand down to his hard, throbbing erection. We both needed this release like there was no tomorrow. I gripped him firmly in my hand, knowing he liked it better when I went faster and harder. I began moving slowly at first, but increased my speed as he rested one arm on the bed while his other hand dug into my hip. His lips met my throat and he growled deeply into it, kissing it softly. I tried not to moan as he kept kissing. Several shivers were sent through my body as he kept kissing lower and lower. I kept pumping my hand faster, eliciting several grunts and groans from my Edward. A minute later he put his hand to mine and stopped me, probably wanting to finish with sex. His eyes found mine in the midst of this chaotic lust-induced romp. They were a vibrant green, like always, but in this moment they possessed a feral intensity. He wanted this badly; the animal inside of him was dangerously threatening to come out. Both of his hands met both of my hips as he lifted off of me. He pulled me up and sat me on him, while he sat his bare ass on the hardwood floor. It was probably better this way because my bed creaked like a motherfucker. He scrambled to sit properly before I gently lowered myself down onto him. His fingers caressed the back of my head as I used my legs to propel myself up and down. But I could feel him wanting more. I never felt the need within myself to fuck him exceptionally hard because I really wasn't that experienced, and he usually did that enough for the both of us. At this point though that's what he wanted and needed. I stopped and moved onto the floor myself. My skin stung from the coldness of the wood and I flinched. Edward hastily moved to me, his fingers never leaving my skin. I snatched my comforter off my bed and laid it down underneath me.

Edward's hands were so hard and forceful on my skin that I thought he would bruise me. But either way I just couldn't fucking care at all. He pressed me down onto the ground, admiring me from above. He forced my legs open wide and lowered himself onto me. I felt him penetrate me tenderly and his now loving eyes gazed into mine. He kissed my lips with a certain softness that was both gentle and romantic. He kept going slowly for the time being and his mouth hung open, like it usually did.

"Oh...shit," he said, slowing down even more. "You took your pill right?" He asked, his slightly sweating brows furrowing in hope and worry. I nodded at him. Renee had made sure that I was to go on the pill when I had gone to Phoenix. I had been on it for about a month now and hopefully it was safe to have sex without a condom. Either way we were going through with it. I was positive it would be okay. Edward grinned a little bit at me and kissed me again. His fingers trailed along my side, suddenly gripping me harder. His eyes, feral and animalistic again met mine, before he thrusted into me harder than ever. My mouth gaped open and my eyes widened – that had been pretty much the best feeling in the world. But the feeling repeated itself, over and over. He didn't slow. I could hear the very faint creaking of wood beneath me, but it wasn't so loud that Charlie could hear. Edward buried his head in my neck, occasionally kissing as he kept going. My right leg wrapped around him, wanting to feel more of him against me. My hands left his shoulders and curled into my own hair, gripping it tightly. I had no words to describe it. I couldn't get over how much we just went after each other like this. My hands soon no longer felt the need to occupy my hair so they ventured onward and upward, bracing against my nightstand. I gripped either side of it with intensity and pushed down, forcing Edward deeper into me. He groaned in satisfaction as he sunk deeper. The faint sound of skin slapping together was filling the room. He suddenly went even faster, which I didn't think was possible. He was getting close – he always sped up when he was. With a few more shallow thrusts and a throaty moan I felt Edward release into me. It was a different feeling and I didn't really prefer it either way. But it did feel eighteen times more fantastic than with a condom.

Edward soon became lifeless on top of me and steadied his breathing as his head rested against my bare chest. I felt a light sheen of sweat cover my body and knew that Edward was the same because of the way he stuck to me. I tried to regain my coherence as his chest heaved in time with mine. We had barely said anything to each other the entire time – and it was fantastic. I gently curled my fingers around locks of his hair as his breathing relaxed. He turned his head and looked at me with a smile. I lazily smiled back, feeling more than satisfied. Edward kissed the middle of my chest and inched his head up to my face. He kissed me on the lips, lovingly caressing the side of my face with his fingers.

"Hi," he said, resting his forehead against mine. I laughed a bit as I realized we hadn't even said that to each other.

"Hey," I replied. "How are you?" He grinned widely.

"I'm fucking fantastic now. Can I stay here tonight?" I nodded, not sure if he was joking or serious. Either way I would agree, but it was risky as hell.

"It might be sort of risky though. Do you want to get shot by Charlie?" He smirked.

"Not really. I guess I should just sleep at home." Both of us frowned at this. I was assuming that once we got back to school we would be spending the night with each other a lot more. Sleeping with Edward was so comfortable and always made me feel more refreshed in the morning. And I _really _wanted him to stay tonight.

"Well...I mean Charlie leaves really early. I can lock my door so he doesn't come in." I was desperately grasping now, trying to say anything that would make him stay. His face was tortured.

"Bella..." He whispered. "You know how much I want to. But I can't. My mom and dad will know I've been out all night and I'm more than worried about your dad. He'd cut my dick off if he found me in your room." I chuckled a little. Not that it was funny but it was just most likely true. Charlie would flip out if he found Edward in my bed. I frowned at the conclusion we were coming to – it didn't make me happy.

"How late can you stay?" Edward kissed me again and I knew that he wanted to do what I was asking him but simply couldn't. There were too many variables involved and there were so many ways we could get caught.

"Uh, I don't really know. I'd say as late as you want but I know you wouldn't let me leave," he replied, smiling. It was true. If he said that to me I would tell him to stay the night. I contemplated shedding a few forced tears to get my way but that wasn't me. I wasn't going to trick Edward into staying the night no matter how much I wanted him to.

"I really wish you could. But I understand. You can't get Emmett to cover?" I pouted my lip a tiny bit, harmlessly trying to get my way. My lips seemed to capture Edward's attention; he stared at my bottom lip as I curled it in and bit on it. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, kissing me sweetly.

"Okay. I'll think about it. Can we just get dressed and cuddle?" He asked. He was such a fucking cutie – he said things like cuddle and snuggle. I smiled widely at him and nodded, kissing his nose. We redressed at our own pace, giggling quietly and kissing whenever we felt like it. I climbed into bed after, retrieving my blanket from the floor. Edward crawled in after me and tucked me right into his side, letting me sink into every inch of him. I curled my arms around him and inhaled deeply. His strong scent from his shirt wafted into my nostrils, making them flare. He smelled heavenly. For what seemed like ever we just lied there, talking quietly of both our days. He told me about his trip to Victoria's Secret and how sketched out he was.

"By the way," he whispered. "You have to buy something from there." I raised my eyebrows and laughed. Because in all honesty...Alice made me buy something from there today. She forced me to buy frilly, skimpy, sexy black underwear and a bra. The underwear had garter attachments that made me look like the world's shortest and least sexy underwear model. Edward would probably hit me over the head for thinking that, but I was nothing special to look at. Edward eyed me as I laughed.

"Uh," I began, getting off the bed. I pried myself from Edward, going into my closet where all of my shopping bags were. I pulled out the slutty push up bra and the underwear with attachments. I blushed like crazy, holding them up to Edward. "You mean something like that?" His jaw was dangerously close to unhinging as he gawked at me. He nodded, blinking his eyes a hundred times as he took in what I was showing him.

"Wh – I mean...how come you bought that?" He asked as I made my way back to him. I snuggled back into his side and smiled.

"Why do you think? Alice forced me. She told me she would buy it for me for Christmas if I didn't buy it." Edward chuckled quietly.

"Tell her I said thank-you," he whispered into my ear. His hot breath sent a shiver up my spine, making me weak. I didn't trust my voice so I nodded. He brushed his mouth along my ear in slow movements giving me goose bumps. I closed my eyes and I nestled into him even more, letting his soft affections take me to my happy place. It was wherever Edward was.

"I love you," he whispered quietly. I faintly smiled, suddenly becoming engrossed in the need to sleep.

"Iloveyou," I mumbled back almost incoherently...

---

_There was grass._

_It was wet._

_I could smell the sweat and vodka._

_It was dark._

_I felt hands grasping me, alien hands; hands that did not belong to Edward. _

_I opened my closed eyes and saw eyes that were not Edward's._

_I tried to scream but my voice was lost._

_And then there was a bright light...everything illuminated..._

_---_

My eyes shot open, glancing frantically around my room. Edward had the tightest hold on my sweating body. The nightmares were getting less intense as the months wore on. Now I wasn't so much scared as I was confused. I could feel the grass and the wetness and the sweat...but I didn't feel scared like I had been. I chalked it up to the fact that I was coping with what happened more and more everyday, realizing that it could have been much worse. Edward's snores drowned out my thoughts and I froze. Shit. Charlie knows that I don't snore. I prayed to god that he didn't come in here and see us. I craned my neck to see the clock on my nightstand. It was ten to seven. Charlie would be gone by now. And it was motherfucking early, but maybe if Edward got up and left now he could get back home without consequence. I shifted a tiny bit, making Edward stir. He coughed a little before I watched his eyes flutter open. He blinked them a few times, letting them adjust to the small amount of light that entered through the window. It wasn't much because the sun hadn't come up yet, there was just a faint yellow glow from the street lamp outside. His face turned from serenity to panic in a fraction of a second.

"Fuck!" He said, sitting up. I groaned at how early this was and sat up too. "Oh shit I didn't talk to Emmett. Oh god I'm fucked," he said shaking his head and putting it in his hands. I soothingly rubbed his back. It was all my fault.

"Edward it's my fault. I'm sorry. I just wanted you to stay." He turned back and gave me a half-smile.

"Bella it's not your fault. I wanted to stay. I just should have called Emmett. Maybe he's up, let me try him." He leant over to the nightstand and picked up his phone, dialling Emmett's number. He bit on his nail as he waited for him to pick up.

"Jazz?" Edward said. "Hey man, where's Emmett?" I saw Edward tense, and then relax considerably. "Oh god...okay. Thanks so much man. I owe you. I'll be home soon, what do you want in yours? Alright, I'll be home soon, bye." He hung up the phone and sighed, lying back down.

"So...?" I said, not knowing a thing that had happened.

"Jazz is already up because he's like a fucking rooster. He told Carlisle and Esme that I went out for coffee. Thank god they bought it. So now I'm just going to go and get coffee and go home." I kissed his cheek, glad that he was in the clear. I was pretty sure that Charlie hadn't come in here.

"Good. Want to come over tonight?" I asked, joking this time. He laughed and hugged me, getting out of bed. He left and went to the bathroom. He asked me if he could use my toothbrush and after some reluctance I let him. It was kind of gross sharing a toothbrush but I didn't really care too much. I stuck my tongue in his mouth? I think it'd be okay if he used the same toothbrush. After he was done I did the same, not liking my morning breath in the least. We went downstairs to the empty house and I rummaged for food. I guess I was getting an extra early start today.

"Okay love I think I'm going to go," Edward said from behind me.

"Don't you want anything to eat?" I asked, deeply saddened by the fact that he was leaving. He shook his head. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him, knowing I wouldn't see him for two days.

"I'm not really hungry," Edward said to me, stroking my head. I nodded and nuzzled my face into his chest. He hugged me closer, sticking his nose into my unruly hair. I giggled.

"Alright. How far did you park?"

"Not far. Just down the street off the side of the road. It's hidden by the forest, don't worry," Edward replied.

"Okay. Text me when you get home then," I told him, taking his hand and leading him to the door. When we got to the door I stepped up on my tip toes, thankful that my balance was so good this early in the morning. I kissed him rather passionately on the lips, wrapping my arms around his neck. I turned my head, letting his tongue slip into my mouth. It tasted like mint, and still tingled with the freshness of the toothpaste. He held onto me as hard as I was holding onto him. He broke out of the kiss after a minute and breathed heavily.

"Last night was..." Edward said, furrowing his brows. I assumed he couldn't find the words.

"I know," I replied. "Amazing." I kissed him on the lips again and he shook his head.

"It was better than that," he said. I smiled. It _was_ better than amazing. I kissed him a few more times before letting my feet fall back down. He bent down to kiss me one more time before he left. I wasn't eager to let him go because I would miss him like crazy this time.

"Bye, love you," he said with a perfect smile. I was dazzled. It was too early for him to be all good looking and sexy. I swooned. Edward caught me and concern washed over his face. Maybe my balance wasn't as good as I thought.

"Bella are you okay?" He asked, panic leaking into his voice.

"You made me lose my balance," I said, blushing a little. He chuckled.

"Go back to bed and I'll talk to you later okay?" I frowned, wanting him to stay with me again. I would feel so lonely in my bed without him. Despite my wants I nodded, not feeling nearly as refreshed as I wanted to be. He helped me back up the stairs; nervous that I would stumble down them or something. He was a sweetheart and picked me up, setting me down in my bed. He tucked me in and sat there, kissing my forehead.

"Go back to sleep sweetheart. Call me when you wake." I nodded.

"I love you, drive safe." He smiled at me again and I was glad that I was lying down – I probably would have fallen again had he done that while I was standing.

"Love you too," he said. He kissed me once more on the mouth and smiled before getting up. He blew me a kiss before he closed my door and left. I kept the stupid smile on my face as I buried my face into the pillow that smelled heavily of Edward. I was asleep within seconds, not even remembering to listen for the closure of the door as Edward left.

**E.P.O.V**

I couldn't believe that I had actually gotten away with all of that. Sleeping at Bella's. I was impressed. Jazz and Emmett were playing Guitar Hero while I watched. I couldn't stop thinking about last night. No matter how loud they were being I just couldn't get Bella out of my mind. Not being with her for so long and then having all of her at once was like running into a brick wall head first; except for the brick wall was Bella. I was so into it that I just...sort of went crazy. I wasn't even remotely worried about Charlie – I honestly didn't give two shits about him while I was with her.

"Dude?" I heard Jasper say. I turned my head slightly to look at him and he had a concerned expression on his face. "What's got you in la-la land?" He asked, laughing a bit now.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I asked if you wanted a go and you completely ignored me," he said. I frowned a little; I hadn't even heard him. I was too lost in my thoughts.

"Sorry. I'm kind of out of it today," I said to him. Last night had made me tired and weak in the knees. I hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep. Right now it was only quarter to nine, and I was dead tired.

"I noticed," Emmett said with a wink. "I'm sure you'd be even more out of it had you gotten Bella something from Victoria's Secret." I couldn't help but laugh hysterically at him. Emmett laughed with me and so did Jasper.

"Actually...you'll never believe this. Alice forced Bella to get something from there. It's black...and frilly...and strappy. It's...awesome." I dazed dreamily about Bella wearing it. I was such a horny pervert now because of her. And why was I telling this to Emmett and Jasper? Oh well...I guess they deserved to know that I was the luckiest guy in the world.

"Ooh, black," Jasper said with a wink. "I should get Alice something black...it'd go good with her hair." I rolled my eyes at him and laughed. The two of them kept going on and on about slutty lingerie while I picked up the guitar for Guitar Hero and began playing a song. I tried...and failed miserably. My mind was in the gutter. I was constantly surrounded with images of Bella...indecent images. I ended up failing the easiest song in the world...Slow Ride. How embarrassing. I shook my head intensely, trying to shake Bella out of there.

Needless to say it didn't work.

---

I carefully folded the wrapping paper, furrowing my brows. I was so clueless when it came to wrapping presents. It was virtually impossible for me to make it look half decent. Wrapping the television had been a task all in itself. I had gotten Esme to help me with it. It took us nearly twenty minutes to wrap the damn thing. But since that was now already done I was just wrapping the bracelet. Esme loved it; she said it looked 'so Bella'. And I agreed. I thought she'd love it. So here I was, wrapping the stupid small box, my tongue hanging out of my mouth in concentration. I folded the paper down and stuck a piece of tape to it. I did the same on the other side and folded them onto the back of the box, putting a final piece of tape down. I twirled the box around in my hands. It looked hideous. Oh well. I'm sure she could care a less what the outside looked like. I placed the box on top of the wrapped T.V and dropped onto my bed lifelessly. Today was Christmas Eve and I was heading to Bella's in an hour. The past two days had been draining because I had visited every single person in my family. My aunts, my uncles, my cousins, my grandparents...and some family whose name I didn't even know. But I suppose that's what Christmas is all about. My cheeks were red and sore from pinching and I'm pretty sure I permanently smelt like an old person because I had been surrounded by them for the entirety of the two days.

I had just smiled though, and put on a pretty good charade. Truth be told I just wanted the hell away from everyone. I didn't like being in such a chaotic situation, but that's the way it was every Christmas. Since I had such a hectic two days I was glad to just lay low with Bella and Charlie. I wasn't sure if Sue and Seth and Leah were going to be there, but I wouldn't mind if they were. I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. I vaguely wondered how in the hell I was going to get the T.V into her house all by myself. I guess I'd just have to get her or Charlie to help me. We were exchanging gifts today because I wouldn't see her tomorrow. She was going to Seattle again to visit her grandparents with Charlie. I would have gone with her but I don't think Esme or Carlisle would have liked that too much. So right now I was happy to be going to Bella's house because I missed her. I could never get enough of her and it was kind of sad. She really had changed me. It honestly felt like my insides had rearranged themselves and I wasn't fully complete unless I was around her. She was like an organ that I needed. The past two days I had only talked to her on the phone though; which wasn't nearly good enough to satisfy my Bella craving.

"Edward?" I heard Carlisle's voice say along with the sudden knock on the door. I sat up a tiny bit.

"Yeah dad," I said. He entered the room, hands in his pockets. He smiled at me and took up a spot on my bed.

"How's it going in here? I have barely seen you all day." I grinned a little. The wrapping had proved to be a bit of a task.

"I nearly went insane trying to wrap Bella's presents," I said with a laugh. Carlisle laughed back.

"I just wanted to see if we would be expecting Bella for dinner tomorrow. Your mother needs to go shopping and she was wondering whether or not she would be joining us." I frowned a bit. I really wanted to be with her on Christmas...but it wasn't going to happen.

"No she's not. She's going to Seattle to see her grandparents. Just the four of us I guess," I said in a depressed tone. Carlisle gave me a sympathetic look and patted my shoulder.

"That's too bad," he replied. I nodded. "She's welcome to come by if she likes though. And this is completely off-track, but one of the reasons I wanted to come up here. I was thinking about next year and you living out east. Would you maybe want to get some friends together and all buy a house? I could arrange everything for you." I sat up completely now...already knowing who would be my roommates.

"Really?" I asked in a hopeful tone. Carlisle nodded.

"I think it would be better for you to live in a house than on residence again. It'll give you more of a sense of responsibility I think." I loved my dad. I smiled.

"It sounds like a great idea," I told him. "Thanks dad." He nodded his head again, and stood up.

"What time are you leaving?" Carlisle asked. I glanced over at the clock. I still had about forty-five minutes until I had to leave. But I would leave sooner...I just wanted to see her.

"Half and hour," I replied.

"Alright. Well you have fun and don't be too late. Santa won't come unless you're asleep." Carlisle winked at me. I burst out laughing. He and Esme always joked about Santa. They said we wouldn't get our presents if we didn't believe in Santa. And I fucking wanted presents. So Emmett and I always went on about Santa and all of his reindeer.

"Don't forget the cookies and the carrots," I joked to him. "Oh and the milk too." Carlisle grinned and told me he wouldn't forget. He left the room then and I went back to my thoughts. I couldn't picture my life any other way than the way it was now. What would have happened to me had I been adopted by another family? I shuddered at the thought of not having the Cullens as my family. They were awesome. Esme and Carlisle were cool parents, and Emmett was a great guy; my best friend and my brother. Now I had Bella too. I felt complete as a person despite the fact that I didn't share any real relation to the people I was closest to. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. And the prospect of living with Bella and Jasper and Alice was on the horizon. We would actually be living together. I would wake up every morning and see her. We could finally do the thing with the dishes. It was kind of silly, but doing the dishes actually sounded like a fun chore if I could do it with Bella.

---

"Okay you have to help me now," I said to Bella. She eyed me wearily.

"With what?" I was scared. She would beat me up for getting her such expensive gifts.

"Your present. I can't carry it in all by myself." She crossed her arms and frowned.

"Edward...what did you get me?" I shook my head.

"It doesn't work like that Bella. You have to help me first, and then you can open it," I told her like a jackass. She rolled her eyes and stuffed her boots on her feet. I did the same and we both put our coats on. We had just finished dinner and Seth and Sue were in the living room with Charlie. Leah was at Paul's house because she had apparently cried until Sue let her go. So it was just the five of us, and now Bella and I were exchanging presents. I knew she was going to hit me for the T.V.

We left the house and I held her hand down the stairs to make sure she didn't fall. Because knowing her, she'd fall flat on her ass. I led her to the car and she was silent, probably knowing that I got her something expensive. It's not like she gave me a price range? I opened the door and Bella stuck her head in the car; she stared at the large, wrapped box in the back seat. She pulled her head out and gave me that look. It was the look that I knew that told me she was mad. I didn't care. It was Christmas. I hadn't gotten her anything for her birthday. And I wanted to spoil her. So I did the best I could with what she would allow me. And she would fucking deal with it.

"Don't give me that look. Just help me get it out," I said to her. She rolled her eyes as I began pulling the box out. Bella grabbed the bracelet box off the floor and turned it around in her hands. She raised an eyebrow. "That's your other present." She huffed and stuffed it in her pocket. It took us about ten minutes to actually get the stupid thing out of the car and up the stairs. I was worried the entire time about her falling or something. We got it in the house and I told her we needed to take it upstairs because it would go in her room. As we were heading up, Charlie came to watch us and eyed us curiously.

"What in the hell are you doing Bells?" He asked, almost laughing.

"This is apparently my Christmas present from Edward. He said it needed to go in my room." Her tone was mocking, and she was being childish. She was kind of making me angry right now. Why was she such a baby when it came to receiving presents?

"Ah...well. You're going to your room?" Charlie asked in his fatherly tone. I tried to suppress my laugh. If only he knew that had I spent the night here?

"Yes," Bella said, as if this were something that Charlie didn't need to worry about. Charlie's face tensed, and I tried my best to keep moving up the stairs with the heavy T.V. It wasn't heavy to begin with...but after carrying it for nearly ten minutes it was suddenly the heaviest thing in the world.

"Leave your door open," Charlie warned. He shot me some sort of 'I'll kill you if you touch her' stare before going back into the living room. I shook my head and continued up the stairs with Bella. We got it into her room and I dropped onto her bed after we set it down.

"Fuck that thing is heavy," I said, catching my breath. I lifted my head to find Bella sitting in her desk chair, turning over the bracelet box in her hand. She looked sad. "Bella what's wrong?" I asked her. She sighed and looked at me.

"Why did you get me all this?" I ran my hands through my hair in frustration and stood up.

"Why are you doing this? Why can't you just accept them? It's fucking Christmas Bella. I didn't get you anything for your birthday and I'm not letting you take this away from me. Why are you so against this anyway?" She put the present on the desk and came over to me.

"You're going to hit me if I tell you," she said in a small voice. She sat on the bed, almost on my lap, and took my hand in hers. "I just...I feel that...were uneven." I looked down to her with the most fucking confused face. What was she talking about uneven? "And presents...you buying me stuff. It just makes us more uneven. I mean..." I stopped her, knowing what the fuck she meant now.

"Bella I swear to god. If you say one more time that you are just you...I won't be held responsible for my actions. You need to stop with this. If anything the presents make us even...because I need to compensate for how much of an idiot I am. You deserve them. I want to give you the world, but I know you'd never take it. So please just stop being all depressed that I bought you two presents."

"But..." She said. I put my hand over her mouth.

"No. Bella, there's no argument. Just please..." I took my hand away from her mouth and after a minute she lost the frown. She smiled a tiny bit actually.

"Fine! I suppose when you put it like that..." She said. "So what do I get to open first? Actually no. I want you to open yours first." She went into her closet and pulled out two wrapped presents and put them on the bed next to me. The one box was rather small, while the other one was a bit bigger.

"Which one first?" I asked. She smiled and handed me the smaller one. I ripped off the wrapping paper and opened the box. A small, oval shaped pendant stared back at me. It looked like a family crest. "Oh my god...Bella is this...?" I pulled it out and found that it was attached to a wrist cuff.

"Yeah. It's the Cullen family crest. Alice helped me find it. That's part of the reason why we went to Seattle." I rubbed my thumb over the silver lion and felt speechless. It had to be the most sentimental present anyone had ever given me. "If you don't like it...I mean you can always take it back." I shook my head at her immediately.

"Bella it's perfect," I told her with a smile. I stood up and placed the cuff on my wrist, liking the way it looked. Bella smiled widely at me, liking that I liked her present. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her to me, mashing my lips to hers. She giggled a little bit and held the back of my head tightly. I pulled away a second later. "I love it." She kissed my lips again once more.

"Good," she replied. She handed me the other box and I opened it too. I pulled off the lid to the box and found tickets. I pulled out four. I examined the small writing...._No fucking way! _

"Bella! These had to cost a fortune!" I said with shock coating my voice. She had bought four tickets to go see Spill Canvas in concert. It was in Seattle just after the New Year. "Honestly! Holy shit...these are amazing." I sat back down on the bed and daydreamed about the concert. Bella laughed at me.

"Actually they weren't that bad. Only like sixty dollars a ticket. And Jasper and Alice said they'd pay me back. So I really only paid for yours and mine," she told me. I felt better about this...but still. They're kind of expensive. But unlike her...I took my presents with a fucking smile on my face, and without complaint.

"I'm so fucking excited. It's going to be awesome. Thank you so much," I told her, standing up to kiss her again. I ran my tongue along her bottom lip and forced it into her mouth. She pressed her tongue against mine, stepping up onto her tip toes. "I love everything," I told her after I pulled away. I kept running my fingers through her curly hair that now reached the middle of her back. We just stared at each other for a minute, admiring one another. She had gotten me the best presents ever. And the fact that she had gotten me something so sentimental nearly made pussy Edward cry. I really didn't deserve someone so perfect, but if god was giving her to me...I wasn't going to say no to that bastard – if he even existed.

"Good. Now it's my turn!" She said. She sounded excited to open them. Good, now she knew better than to act like someone was dying when she was in reality just opening a fucking gift. "Which one? Can I open the big one first?" She looked so cute, walking over to her presents. She literally looked like a little kid on Christmas morning, wondering which of the millions of presents to open first.

"Yes the big one," I told her. She tore the wrapping paper slowly, trying to be careful for reasons that were unknown to me. "Oh just rip!" I told her. She laughed before she just tore into the wrapping paper. She gasped at the present.

"Edward you bought me a T.V!" She said, a look of exasperation crossing her face. I shook my finger at her.

"Ah...you said two presents. You never gave me a price. Deal with it. You needed a fucking bigger T.V. That one is the size of my head," I said to her, pointing to the miniscule T.V she had. She rolled her eyes and eventually smiled.

"Okay, you're right. I love it. Thank you," she said to me, giving me a big hug. I smiled into her hair before I kissed the top of her head. "Can we set it up after?" She asked me hopefully. I smiled at her and nodded.

"Of course we can. I wouldn't let you set it up by yourself. You'd probably break it," I joked. She faked sadness by pouting her bottom lip. I grabbed it in between my teeth and caused her to whimper.

"Do you have no faith in me?" She asked when I released her.

"Nope," I replied. "Now open the next one." She went to her desk and took the smaller box in her hands. She tore off the wrapping paper quicker this time and stared at the small, black velvet box. She shot me a look...I wasn't sure what it was...before opening the box. Her hand went to her mouth and her eyebrows shot up into her hairline when she took in the bracelet. She walked over to me not taking her eyes off the present. She stood in front of me, and finally looked away from the box and up into my eyes.

"Edward..." She said, her eyes brimming with tears. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and took the box from her. I took the bracelet with the charm out and wrapped it around her wrist, clasping it shut. She held it up to her face and examined the bracelet. It looked perfect on her tiny little wrist. She smiled and a single tear fell down her face. "It's beautiful," she said, wiping the tear away.

"So you like it then?" I asked, kissing her on the forehead. She nodded.

"I love it," she replied. She kissed me on the chin and snaked her arms around my waist. She sniffled a little bit before resting her head on my chest. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I told her. "See...presents aren't so bad are they?" I asked. She laughed against my chest. She pulled her head away and looked up to me.

"I guess not...but I don't even want to know how much you spent on me. It'll probably make me sick," she said, a small smile playing on her lips. I bent down and kissed her gently.

"It doesn't matter Bella. I could care a less how much I spend on you. As long as it's something you want. If the perfect present was free, you'd be getting that." She laughed again, and kissed me. "Merry Christmas Bella."

"Merry Christmas Edward."

**B.P.O.V**

I just stared at the bracelet. The small, heart-shaped glittering pendant was beautiful, and thankfully cost Edward nothing. It was a gift from Esme and Carlisle. I wanted to get mad for such a present, but couldn't. It was just so perfect and amazing that I wanted it to be mine. And it was. I smiled, looking out the window of my truck as Charlie drove us to Seattle. We were visiting Grandma Swan and family today. Hooray. Charlie and I had exchanged a few presents this morning. Charlie had bought me a camera, to go with the scrapbook my mother had sent me. I was excited to catalogue my time at Dartmouth when I got back there. He had also given me some money, which was greatly appreciated. I was running low on my savings and desperately needed cash. I had thought a few times about getting a job, but would save that for the summer where I could work full time.

I kept the stupid grin on my face and rested my head against the head rest. I closed my eyes, letting images of Edward run through my mind. I nestled into the seat, wrapping my arms around me, letting the heat blasting from the vents lull me to sleep. It was only quarter after ten, still pretty early. So I allowed for the quiet hum of the engine, the soothing melody of the radio, and the warm heat of the vent to let me drift off to a place where I wasn't about to go spend the day with a bunch of old people. I let it take me to a place where I was warm, and carefree, and of course...with Edward.

I was awoken a few hours later by Charlie.

"Bells honey, wake up. We're here," he said to me. I tried to put on a smile despite the fact that I was still groggy from sleep and not really looking forward to this. We got out of the car and walked down the road to the house. We had to park far away because the driveway was full, and other cars lined the street. I groaned a little bit. This was going to be painful. We manoeuvred through the cars in the driveway and finally made it to the door. Charlie knocked three times and a minute later Grandma Swan opened the door wearing an apron. Her soft white hair was pulled back into a small pony tail, and her face was radiant as she smiled.

"Bella! Charlie!" She rejoiced.

"Hey nana," I said, leaning in to hug her. She kissed me on the top of the head and moved to hug Charlie. She stepped aside and allowed us to enter the house. I took off my coat and boots and put them in their appropriate spots. It always smelled so good in my grandma's house. Like cookies and flowers and...Warmth. I couldn't explain it. Her house just made me relaxed. I rounded the corner into the living room with Charlie and tried to keep my fake smile plastered across my face. _Oh god. _The smile wanted to dart away and never return. I entered the living room and heard a loud chorus of old people saying my name with enthusiasm. I couldn't help but laugh now actually. I didn't know that I knew so many older people. Thankfully they turned their attention to someone next to me. I shifted my gaze to the small, blond haired girl by my side. _Thank god, _I thought to myself. Jane linked her arm with mine, just as scared as I was. She kept the smile on her face as she leant into me.

"Ready for this?" She asked through her smile. I tried not to laugh again as I nodded at my cousin. I turned around to see her twin – Alec – taking off his coat. He avoided the living room, taking off straight for the kitchen. _Lucky bastard. _

Jane and I walked into the sea of old people, getting compliments and shrieks left and right. She finally let go of my arm and went to see our grandpa. He was sitting in his favourite chair, reaching his withering arms out for Jane. He took her in a hug as I went over to my grandma's sister. She was a sweet old lady that always gave me a dollar bill – like it was the most valuable thing in the world.

"Hello Irina," I said to her in an upbeat voice, hugging her small body. She patted my back and smiled.

"Hello dear. Oh my, Bella you are looking so beautiful darling," she replied. I smiled at her. She brought her small hand to my face and pinched my cheek in between her thumb and forefinger. I kept smiling as my cheeks were turning red. "Such a sweet girl. Merry Christmas," Irina said to me, letting my cheek go. I told her the same and turned around to find Jane getting the same treatment from Uncle Albert. He was really Charlie's uncle...but we all just called him that. Jane shot me a weary look before plastering her own smile on her face.

This was going to be a _long _day.

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**A/N:** Let me know what you think!

I know I say it all the time...but reviews are welcome : )

And another reminder that my new fanfic is up. Just go to my profile if you wish to take a look.

Thanks so much!


	25. Without Warning

**A/N: **This took me a bit longer than expected. The usual deterrents of work and life got in the way.

Sorry to all the readers who wait for this story! I do it too with the fanfics I'm reading.

So here it is : )

Enjoy!

**

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**

B.P.O.V

I stood and watched the organized chaos around me. Music was softly playing in the background, setting the mood for the evening. The T.V was alive with pictures of Dick Clark in Times Square. The countdown at the bottom read ten seconds. Esme and Carlisle were slow dancing by the T.V, nearly making me cry with how cute they were. Alice and Jasper were huddled on the couch, waiting for the timer to reach zero. Emmett was in the other room talking to Rosalie, who was on the other side of the country. Edward had his arms wrapped around my entire body as I stood watching. We had food and pop and champagne and balloons and streamers and other party favours littered across the entire living room. Esme, Alice and I sort of went nuts earlier with the decorations. It looked like the inside of a party store had blown up and landed in the Cullens living room. As I peeled my eyes away from the T.V, the countdown coming to five, I saw the Cullen crest glinting from Edward's wrist, making me smile. I turned in his arms and looked up to him. He had the most content look on his face; like nothing in the world could possibly be bothering him at this moment.

He kept his arms tight around me as he bent down to kiss me. I heard Alice chanting the rest of the countdown, like she always did, as Edward's tongue entered my mouth. It was cold and soft and tasted faintly of champagne. He had been hesitant to drink the champagne, even when I told him I was okay with it; I trusted him. I pressed harder against his mouth, feeling that this kiss was supposed to be special because we were passing into a new year. I felt his hot body vibrate against mine as he suppressed a groan, pushing his tongue further into my mouth. I moved my hands around to the back of his neck and fisted them into his hair, pulling his face closer. When people on the television started to talk we both pulled away at the same time. Edward gently rested his forehead against mine and sighed. I saw him smirk slightly before he softly kissed the middle of my forehead.

"Happy New Year," he said to me. I smiled and kissed his chin, the only place I could reach when I was flat on my feet.

"Happy New Year to you too," I replied. Edward let me go and went over to Esme and Carlisle and wished them a Happy New Year, kissing them and hugging them. Alice bounded over to me from the couch and wrapped her tiny, strong arms around me, saying the same. She pulled away and smiled big at me. She was going to do what we had planned because we knew it would make Jasper and Edward go nuts. Alice reached on her tip toes and planted a kiss right on my lips. She held it there for a good five seconds before pulling away. She giggled quietly before skipping over to an open mouthed, panting Jasper. I laughed before turning around to find Edward staring at me. His eyes were hooded and his lips were parted ever so slightly. They looked wet and red and soft. His hair was erratically splayed across his head, making him look irresistible, like always. Before his eyes could fully entrance me though, Esme appeared from behind Edward and hugged me.

"Happy New Year Bella," she said happily. I smiled at Edward over her shoulder.

"You too Esme," I replied.

"Happy New Year Bella," Carlisle said from behind her.

"Yeah, Happy New Year Carlisle," I said. They moved on to go speak to Alice and Jasper and Edward was immediately dragging me away, out of the living room. He was muttering and shaking his head like crazy. He stopped and pushed me up against the wall, trapping me with his hands. His blazing eyes stared me down so intensely that I felt that I was naked. He had stripped me of everything and his eyes were making me bare my soul to him.

"You make my life extremely painful sometimes Bella," Edward said to me in a throaty, sexy voice. It nearly made me melt. He took a hand off the wall and dragged it down the side of my body, resting at my hip. He slipped his fingers underneath my shirt and grazed them along my skin, heating the places where he touched.

"Wh-why's that?" I asked in a shaky voice. His hand moved to behind my back and he slid it up more, massaging my spine as he went. He slid his fingers up to my bra, and with one swift motion he undid it. My breathing turned ragged as he moved his hand under the cup of my bra and gently massaged my breast with his palm.

"God I'm making this so much worse for myself," he said, dropping his head to my neck. He kissed it ravenously. He nipped at my skin, giving me goose bumps, as he trailed back up to my ear. "Do you realize how embarrassing it is to have a hard-on in front of your parents?" He asked me in a whisper. I would have laughed, but I was too turned on to emit anything close to a laugh. I just breathed in harder, snaking my arms around his neck.

"Why would you have one of those?" I joked, kissing the side of his neck. We were both making this worse for ourselves. But we couldn't help it.

"Ah," he said with a deep, seductive laugh. "That's how you make my life painful. I swear to god Bella...if you kiss Alice one more time I'm dragging you to my room," he growled. I felt even more wetness gather between my legs as he said those words. He massaged my breast more firmly, his breathing becoming more forced as well. I sucked in a sharp breath as his fingers brushed across my hard nipples. He was severely testing my will power right now, making me weak in the knees. Could he handle it if I tested him back?

"Alice?" I asked with a moan. Edward's lips stopped on my throat. "Mmm. Her lips are so soft, and her tongue in my mo –" It was too much for him. My plan worked. He groaned and attacked my lips, making my knees even weaker. I turned to putty in his arms as he brushed his tongue along mine. He forcibly pressed his palm against my breast again, bringing the other one to the back of my head.

"Edward?" I heard someone call. _Damn. _Like always, we were interrupted. He pulled away.

"What?" He grumbled loudly against my lips, kissing me again as soon as he was done talking. I whimpered as his tongue re-entered my mouth. He dropped his hand from my breast and rubbed it along the back of my thigh.

"Dude where are you?" It was Emmett. Edward almost growled.

"I'm getting something from the kitchen," he replied, dragging his fingers to the front of my jeans. His eyes bored into mine as he stood in front of me, panting and sliding his fingers between my legs. I had jeans on, but the heat was emanating from me so obviously at Edward's every touch. He pressed his palm firmly against my crotch, sending a wave of pleasure through my body. I gripped his hair firmly and breathed raggedly again.

"Stop," I moaned. Yeah, like _that_ was believable.

"What?" I heard Emmett call again.

Edward's palm pressed harder for a fraction of a second before ceasing all activity whatsoever. It made me angry, but was probably for the best. I didn't really think Esme would like it if I ripped Edward's clothes off in the middle of her hallway.

"Oh..." I heard Emmett say. Edward and I both snapped our heads to the right. His right hand was rested against the wall behind my head and his left was rested on the front of my thigh. He was leaning down, right in front of my face. My whole body was pressed into his. Fantastic. This didn't look sexual at all. "I didn't know 'the kitchen' was our new code word for Bella," Emmett said with a smile. Edward emitted another growl and stood up, taking his warm body with him.

**E.P.O.V**

I stood with Bella's body emanating sex next to me. Emmett had an amused look on his face as he took in our situation. Why did people always insist on trying to find me when I was with Bella? Couldn't they just leave me the fuck alone? The absolutely raging hard-on in my jeans was slowly fading as I took in the sight of my beast of a brother. Knowing he had just had phone sex with Rose for the past hour was sure to kill the erection.

"So what's up?" I asked with annoyance.

"Resolution time..." Emmett said with an eye roll. I smacked myself in the forehead. I was such an idiot to forget. Every year Esme and Carlisle did this thing where _everyone _writes down their resolution in this book. They make us think long and hard about them, and get on our asses about keeping them. My resolutions had always been easy things such as getting grades up or something stupid like that.

"What?" Bella said, unhitching herself from the wall. I looked over to her to see her crossing her arms under her tits. I smirked...but stared at her chest like a rabid dog stares at meat. She had her bra _undone _right now. I felt myself getting hard again at the thought of her topless. _Oh god. _Maybe my resolution should be to stop being a horny pervert. _Nah. _I enjoyed it way too much to stop ogling my girlfriend on a more than regular basis. Also, I think it would give Esme a heart attack if I wrote that in the book. Bella cleared her throat blatantly and widened her eyes at me. I drew mine away from her chest and gave her an 'I can't help it' type of look.

"This thing mom and dad do. We have to write our resolutions down in a book." She furrowed her eyebrows in thought and nodded her head. I leant down to her. "Go to the bathroom and fix yourself before I go _in_sane, please," I whispered. She was blushing fiercely when I moved away from her. She just ducked her head and scampered off to the bathroom; I couldn't help but laugh.

"Dude...honestly. Save groping Bella for when you're not in the middle of the hall," Emmett said to me. I grinned and shoved the hair out of my face, walking towards him.

"Sorry. My hands sort of have a mind of their own right now," I admitted shyly. I didn't like talking about my lust for Bella with Emmett; but right now I was horny and frustrated and needing to talk about it.

"I know how you feel man," Emmett said, clapping his hand on my shoulder. "When I see Rose...fucking stay away. I haven't seen her in almost three weeks. Fuck phone sex man, it sucks. You think you're uptight? By the time we're ready to go back I'll be completely high strung." I laughed at him, but felt bad. It was true. He definitely had it worse. His girlfriend was on the other side of the country and all he had was several issues of Playboy, his hand, and a phone. At least I had Bella with me. But sometimes that just made it worse because she was here, but I couldn't be with her like I wanted to.

"Yeah I know man. But I'm with Bella and can't...you know," I said suggestively.

"You can't fuck her, yeah I know."

"Em," I said, giving him a glare.

"Okay sorry," he said, rolling his eyes. "Make _love _to her...whatever." I laughed again as we rounded the corner into the living room. Esme and Carlisle were sitting on the couch with Alice, Jasper, and the crazy resolution book. It's always the next New Year's that we see if we actually accomplished the resolution. I had accomplished mine – but mine was kind of easy. I had made a resolution to organize all of my music albums into alphabetical order and by year. I had done it one day during the summer when I was really bored. It was a fluke resolution, and I wanted this year's to be meaningful; something I _wanted _to do. I think on some level it had to do with the way Bella made me feel, the way she changed me.

"Where's Bella?" Esme said as she looked up to me and Emmett.

"Bathroom," I replied. I sat down on the loveseat and waited for her to return. Emmett took up a spot on the floor.

"So what are we doing?" Alice asked merrily. She was nearly bouncing on the couch next to Jasper. She was so full of energy. I think maybe she had one too many glasses of champagne.

"Well I want everyone to think of a resolution, and we're going to write it down here. And next New Years we look at it again to see if you kept it," Esme told her.

"And we trust each of you to make sure the others are being truthful about their resolutions," Carlisle added. Bella entered then and came over to sit with me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to me, not letting her move an inch.

"Okay so..." Esme said, turning to a page in the book. "Carlisle your resolution last year was to take your full vacation time away from the hospital." Esme smiled at him. Carlisle's work was his life, he loved it. He hated taking time off, and never used his vacation time. Esme had nagged him to because he was entitled to it, and because he deserved time off. She said he over-worked himself. If I was not mistaken, I was pretty sure that Carlisle had accomplished his resolution.

"I'm sure the two week vacation to Italy this past summer had accomplished that," Carlisle said with a grin. That hadn't been the only family trip we had taken, but it had for sure been the longest. Carlisle always hated being away from work. It usually pained him to not be able to help people on a regular basis – which is why he was so good at his job. He loved helping people.

"Mine," Esme continued. "Was...to buy fewer shoes," she said sadly. All of us erupted with laughter. Esme was a woman of fashion, and _loved _her shoes. She had made a resolution to buy less of them because we were rapidly running out of space to store them all. "Well mission accomplished," Esme remarked sadly. Carlisle patted her on the back and said something that made her look like she had just won the lottery.

"Well that's not your resolution this year," he said to her sweetly. Esme laughed her dainty laugh and put her hand on her chest.

"How I missed all of my shoes!" I felt Bella's body shaking with laughter next to me. My mother was so ridiculous.

"Amen to that," Alice replied from beside Esme. She exchanged a quick glance with Alice before reading out the other resolutions. Mine of course was done, and Emmett's fluke resolution of actually cleaning his room a few times during the year had been done as well. He was a cheater though – he just shoved everything under his bed or in his closet. He was twenty for god's sake; you would think he could be a bit neater. I shouldn't judge him though...I was almost as bad.

"Alright, new resolutions!" Esme said with enthusiasm. It was now twelve-thirty and I could feel Bella relaxing into every inch of me. She and Alice and Jasper were staying the night because Esme refused to let them drive home at this hour. I wasn't about to protest even though I clearly wasn't going to be sleeping with her. At least when I woke up she would be here.

"Tired?" I whispered in her ear. She nodded and nuzzled her head deeper into my side. I gently stroked the back of her head with affection, waiting to see what everyone's resolution for this year was going to be. I had to think about mine still. I wanted it to be good. Esme had made her resolution to expand her clientele; she wanted people to know who she was outside of Port Angeles. I thought it was a challenging resolution, and a good one. Carlisle had made his to build a new closet for Esme's shoes. This one made us all laugh, but would also be challenging. Carlisle didn't know the first thing about handiwork, and had vowed in his resolution _not _to get professional aide. God help us all. Next it was Emmett's turn.

"I..." Emmett began nervously. He was watching our mom and dad intently for some reason. "My resolution this year is...to move out." Esme gasped at Emmett.

"What?" Esme asked with tear-filled eyes. "You want to move out?" She asked with hurt in her voice. Emmett got up off the floor and went to kneel before our mother.

"Mom look, I'm twenty years old. I need to move out...be on my own. I want to...live with Rosalie." I felt Bella smile against my chest, most likely happy for Emmett and Rose. Little did she know that I was planning the same thing? I hadn't told her about it yet, and I wasn't going to. I wanted it to be a surprise. Of course I would talk to Jasper and Alice about it first, not that they wouldn't want to. Esme started to cry, not wanting her son to leave home.

"Where are you going to live? New York? Here?" She asked through the tears. Carlisle wrapped his arm around Esme and cradled her.

"Honey, shh," he said to her. Carlisle knew that it was part of growing up. Emmett needed it. He wanted to be on his own, doing his own thing. I wanted it too, but wouldn't dare tell Esme until I was sixty if she was going to cry like that. "He was bound to move out someday." Carlisle grinned at Emmett. Esme nodded and lifted her head away.

"Dad's right ma. We might just live in New Hampshire. Somewhere close to the school. I'll still come home during the holidays of course. I just won't be here...unless, you know...it's a holiday." I watched as our mother's heart slowly broke at the thought of Emmett not being here all the time anymore. Esme sighed finally and wiped her face of her tears. Bella was wiping her face too. I peeked down at her and saw her face streaming with tears as well.

"Sweetheart why are you crying?" I asked with concern.

"I hate seeing your mom cry," Bella said like she had a frog in her throat. I softly chuckled and kissed the top of her head. I noticed as I looked over to Alice that she was crying a little bit too. _Women. _

"Okay," Esme finally said. "Emmett's resolution is to break his poor mother's heart." She wrote something in the book and looked to me. "Edward...please don't break my heart too." I smiled a bit at her.

"I'm the good son mom. I would never do any such thing." Esme smiled widely at me. Emmett rolled his eyes and sat back on the floor. "But my resolution..." I started. "Is to start playing piano again." Esme kept her brilliant smile and Bella sat up off of me, giving me a look of wonderment. I had never played for her before. I had been thinking lately of playing again because I missed it. I had been listening to Jazz play so much guitar this year that I wanted to be able to play something myself.

"That's a good one Edward," Esme said, jotting it down in the book. "You haven't played in so long! How about you play for us after this?" I nodded, and took Bella in my arms again. It was her turn next.

"And you?" I asked Bella. She sat up and grinned.

"My resolution...is to be more accepting of presents," she said, her tone suggesting that her resolution wasn't something she wanted to do. I _loved _her resolution. So I could buy her something anytime and she couldn't get mad at me.

"Perfect," I said with an eager voice. She grumbled a little.

"I'm going to regret this aren't I?" She asked. I nodded my head happily. Esme wrote the resolution down in the book and turned to Alice. She breathed in deep and closed her eyes.

"I'm going to _try,_" Alice started; opening her eyes to make sure everyone knew she was _trying. _"To be less of a neat freak." Bella actually full out laughed at Alice.

"Honestly?" Bella said with a raised brow. Even the insane amount of decorations that plastered the living room were arranged in an orderly fashion. If one balloon was out of place Alice would have had a fit. Alice nodded at Bella and she scoffed next to me. She stood up and looked around the living room. She reached up and ripped some streamers down, looking back to Alice. Alice's face was like stone and her lips were pursed. Bella continued on her rampage and moved some balloons around. She rearranged the party hats and cups on the table to make them look out of order. When she was done she came back and sat next to me, a content look on her face.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Bella asked Alice. Alice brushed the hair out of her face and plastered her best fake smile on.

"Positive," she replied. "Esme you can write it down," Alice said confidently. She stuck her tongue out at Bella and frantically looked around the room; most likely trying to figure out how to clean it up without seeming like a neat freak again.

"Jasper, last but not least," Esme said. She still had a hint of sadness in her tone at Emmett's resolution. I had a feeling that the rest of the break would be spent with Esme trying to convince him not to move out.

"My resolution is to be _neater_," Jasper said with a laugh. Yeah right...with Alice being less neat how the hell was that going to work? The only reason our room was spotless now was because Alice spent a lot of time in there. Jasper got up and quickly fixed _everything _that Bella had messed up, making Alice smile from ear to ear. Alice stuck her tongue out at Bella again. Jazz sat back down and smiled like a smug bastard. Bella crossed her arms, pretending to be mad.

"Alright, great," Esme said, closing the book. She yawned and covered her mouth, looking more than tired next to Carlisle. "Edward would you mind playing for us quick before we go off to bed?"

"Sure," I said with a grin. I stood up off the couch and took Bella's hand. I towed her out of the room and into a different room towards the back of the house. It was just down the hall from the kitchen. I heard everyone following us as I opened the door and flicked on the lights to the music room. I ushered Bella in the door and walked her over to the piano bench. When I released her hand I sat down and patted the space next to me. I turned and watched everyone else take spots on the couches and chairs that were arranged in the room. I lifted the cover from the piano's keys and watched Bella's amazed eyes. I wasn't even playing yet and she looked like she was witnessing something wonderful.

**B.P.O.V**

"So what are you going to play for us?" Esme asked Edward. He straightened his form next to me, placing his fingers over the keys. He tapped a few of them, sending a beautiful tinkling sound into the room.

"Uh...I don't really have a name for it. I just...lately I've been thinking about playing and composing. I kind of just made it up. I don't know how it's going to sound....here goes," he said, glancing sideways to me. I just sat completely speechless next to him. He had never played for me before and I was eager to see what he had been 'composing'. I didn't know he'd been thinking about playing again either. My thoughts however were stunned to silence along with my voice when Edward began to play. The melody started slowly, flowing together in a perfect harmony. His brows furrowed in concentration as his beautiful, slender fingers danced across the chiselled ivory. His concentration on playing was making me fall in love with him even more, or maybe it was the song. The tune he was playing was deep and melodic, it sounded like something from the heart. Towards the middle of the song, when he hit the climax, it became soulful and passionate. I felt my lungs aching for air as I watched him play like a professional. After two minutes of pure bliss from Edward's playing, he finished. It didn't sound complete...but it was amazing.

"Wow," I breathed quietly. I literally had no other words.

"Edward..." Esme said breathlessly. I looked up to find Esme sitting on a couch clutching Carlisle's hand. Her other hand was over her chest, tears staining her face. "That was beautiful," she said to him a minute later. Edward turned his head to meet my gaze.

"So beautiful," he whispered so low only I could hear as he stroked his fingers across my cheek. "Thanks mom," he then said to Esme. "It's not done yet." My breathing was now hard and laboured as everyone complimented Edward on his playing. I was still speechless. I sat beside Edward in a deep trance, staring at the black and white keys of the piano, imagining his fingers gently caressing them again.

"Hey," Edward said to me, lifting my chin to meet his gaze. His eyes were full of emotion as he studied my face. I looked behind him and realized that we were alone.

"Wh –" I said, coughing. My voice was raspy from not talking. I still had no words to describe the way he played. "Where'd everyone go?"

"To bed," he replied quietly. I cleared my throat so as to not sound like a frog.

"Edward...I don't even know what to say. It was...incredible." That word wasn't even close to describing it, but it would do. He brought his hand to my face and absently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Why thank you, oh muse," he said tenderly. My eyes widened at him. That song was for me? He saw my expression and smiled. "You were my inspiration."

"Me?" I asked stupidly, blushing a deep shade of red.

"Of course you were. It was sort of like I was trying to put the way you make me feel into a song. You have no idea how hard it is," he said with a gentle laugh. I took his hand in mine and softly planted a kiss on each finger.

"I loved it," I said to him.

"It's not done," he replied sadly.

"Still...it was lovely," I said with a smile. He smiled back at my choice of words. He eventually closed the cover for the piano keys and stood up, extending his hand to me. I took it graciously and allowed him to lead me out of the room. We walked back into the decorated living room and sat on the couch, more than exhausted. It was _way _past our bed time. I never went to bed this late. I yawned and threw myself onto Edward's lap, hugging his waist.

"I think its sleep time," I said tiredly. He laughed and cleared my face of my erratically splayed hair.

"I think it is too," he replied, leaning down to kiss me on the cheek.

"I still can't believe you can play like that. You're amazing," I said to him, looking up to his face from his lap. His lips curled up into a small smile as he played absently with my hair. "Will you play for me again tomorrow?"

"I'll play for you whenever you wish my muse," he said to me, flashing me a heartbreaking smile. "Just maybe something that's complete this time. I need to work on that other one." His brows furrowed as he thought about his latest composition. It sounded heavenly to me despite what he thought of it himself.

"But I like the one you played me," I said with a lip pout. His forehead smoothed as he smiled at me.

"As you wish," he replied, leaning down to kiss my forehead. I smiled back, laughing as I sat up. "Let's get you to bed my beautiful Buttercup," he said with a wink. I couldn't help but laugh at his reference as he turned off the lights to the family room and quietly guided me up the stairs. Alice and I were just sharing one guest bedroom while Jasper took another. She was most likely already asleep because she had had a few glasses of champagne during the celebration. I stopped in front of the door to our room and was instantly reminded of Dartmouth. We _always _said goodnight in the hall in front of our rooms, it was something of a ritual for us. I stood up on my tip toes and snaked my arms around his neck, gently pressing my lips to his. I didn't kiss him for long because I was more than tired and could sense that he was tired too. I pulled away and wrapped my arms around his waist, squeezing him as tight as I could. It most likely wasn't much because I was as strong as a wet noodle.

"Goodnight Stable Boy," I said to him, kissing his chin. He chuckled lightly and kissed the top of my head in return.

"Goodnight Princess," he whispered. I let him go and looked back to him one last time before disappearing into the room. Once inside I could hear the deep breaths in and out of Alice, telling me she was in fact asleep. I crept over to the bag I had brought, careful not to trip over anything in the dark. I picked it up off the floor and snuck back out of the room to the bathroom down the hall. After changing and brushing my teeth and washing my face I was nearly falling asleep on the bathroom counter. I quietly made my way back to the guest bedroom and dropped my bag to the floor. I was much too lazy to walk all the way around the large king-sized bed, so I crawled over Alice's tiny body and sunk down on the empty mattress next to her. I curled the cold comforter around my body, letting it heat up to make me more than comfortable. I let myself drift off into a blissful unconsciousness, letting the New Year become my clean slate. It would just get better from here.

**E.P.O.V**

"Dude...Edward, wake up man," Jasper's voice was saying to me. I grumbled something incoherently to him before cracking my eyes open ever so slightly. It was still dark in my room, with only a small amount of light coming from the window.

"What the hell time is it?" I asked him with annoyance in my voice. He had to know by now that I wasn't a morning person. He gave me a funny look and darted his eyes to my bedside table – where my clock was. I rolled over onto my side and looked at the damned clock that I wanted to throw against the wall. It wasn't even eight o'clock yet. "Honestly Jazz? Why so early all the time? Sleep in for once." I rolled back over and turned away from him, but the damn Southerner was persistent.

"I had an idea..." He said thoughtfully. His ideas _were _always good so I decided to humour him. I rolled back over and pushed the unruly hair out of my face.

"Let's hear it then."

"Let's make the girls breakfast," he said with a grin. I cracked a smile too, liking Jazz's train of thought even if we were up before the roosters. Breakfast in bed for Bella to start the New Year sounded like a plan to me.

"You my friend are a genius. Meet you downstairs in ten?" I told him, sitting up. He nodded as I threw the covers off myself and went into my bathroom. I performed my morning ritual of showering and brushing my teeth. I was done within the ten minutes and went downstairs to find Jasper gathering food and utensils and pots and pans. This was either going to be a nightmare or a complete success. I was rooting for a success. I was an alright cook, but I wasn't too sure about my friend here.

"So what are we making?" I asked him humorously. For some reason the idea of Jasper and I cooking breakfast was all too funny. Jasper came back to the island with some strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream.

"Well I was thinking maybe some pancakes, bacon, eggs, and toast," he said with a shrug.

"Then what's with the strawberries and whipped cream? Do I really want to be there when you wake Alice up?" I asked with a chuckle. He rolled his eyes but laughed too. We were both suffering from the same thing – we were being taunted and teased to death.

"I wish," he muttered after a minute. "But the fruit and whipped cream is for the pancakes." He sounded sad that he couldn't use the whipped cream to decorate Alice rather than the pancakes. I shook my head and went to get the pancake mix. It was one of those add water type of recipes which made my job so much easier. I poured the required amount into a mixing bowl, added the correct amount of water, and started whipping. I was done and ready to flip pancakes in five minutes. Jasper had the bread ready to go in the toaster and was now scrambling some eggs. I turned on the burner because I was sure that the pancakes would take the longest. I grabbed a large pan from the island that Jasper had managed to find and set it down, waiting for it to heat up. As I began flipping pancakes, Jasper began cooking the eggs. He was also monitoring the bacon, which was on the back burner. We worked together as a perfectly ridiculous team, cooking our girlfriends' breakfast. I laughed constantly watching Jasper arrange the eggs and bacon neatly on each plate. He said he was trying out his new 'neat freak' resolution. I wondered how long that would last. Once the eggs were orchestrated across the top of each plate and the two pieces of bacon arranged at the sides, all that was left was the toast and the pancakes.

Jasper buttered each piece of toast and cut it precisely before arranging it across from the bacon. When I was done with the two pancakes for each of the girls I set them down neatly in the middle of each plate. It was scary how identical both plates looked – maybe Jazz's resolution wouldn't be so hard for him after all. I dropped the pan in the sink and grabbed the fruit and whipped cream off the island.

"Does Alice like blueberries or strawberries?" I asked him. I knew Bella _loved _strawberries...and whipped cream too for that matter.

"Blueberries," he said, taking them from my hand. Most times I found that Alice and Bella were either scarily alike or complete opposites. "And Bella?"

"Strawberries," I told him, opening the package. I opened the can of whipped cream and made a small mountain right in the centre of each pancake. "We should do this professionally, look how good that is," I said jokingly. I had to admit though; the whipped cream mountain was flawless. Jasper agreed and went to wash the blueberries. I did the same and followed him over to the sink. I washed and cut the strawberries into fours, putting four small slices on each pancake. Jasper arranged four blueberries around each of his whipped cream mountains, much like I did. When we were satisfied with our creations we stood there like morons admiring the food. It was most likely getting cold too.

"Alright, ready?" I asked. Jasper nodded. "I hope they don't kill us for waking them up so early." I hadn't thought about that. But I'm sure Bella would appreciate the breakfast. "Wait..." I said, remembering Alice was an early riser too. "Why isn't Alice awake?" Jasper shrugged.

"When she drinks she tends to sleep in longer," he said, picking up his plate. It made sense I guess. I grabbed a fork and the apple juice that Jasper had poured and made my way up the stairs balancing everything in my hands. When we were upstairs I quietly opened the door to the guest bedroom to find Alice and Bella wrapped in the sheets, their heads nearly touching. They made me laugh. I crept into the room and heard Bella say my name as I made my way to her side of the bed.

"Edward..." She said sleepily.

"Hey, morning," I said to her, carefully setting the plate and drink down on the table.

"Edward..." She mumbled again.

"Yeah," I said, finally turning to her. Jasper was suppressing a laugh and I tried to as well when I realized Bella was still asleep. She was saying my name in her sleep, making my heart do all sorts of acrobatic tricks.

"She does that a lot?" Jasper whispered to me with a laugh. I nodded.

"Apparently," I said, crawling onto the bed. I snuck over to Bella and cleared the hair from her face. I brushed my fingers across her cheek and waited for a response. "Bella," I said to her, dragging my fingers to her neck. "Hey, wake up," I said. Jasper laughed as Bella began to stir and proceeded in waking up Alice. He sat on the bed and pulled her right into his lap, rocking her slowly back and forth. He was whispering to her, telling her to get up.

"Edward?" Bella asked, now confused. I knew her change in tone meant she was awake.

"Well hello there," I said with a smile. "Nice of you to finally join us in the land of the living." Her tired, barely opened eyes glared at me. I laughed at her in response.

"I'm joking...it's early. Please don't kill me." She stretched her little arms and sat up, letting the blanket fall to her hips. She was wearing her white tank top, with no bra. Was she trying to kill me?

"Just so you know, my face is five inches north of there," she grumbled, yawning afterwards. I chuckled and gave her a hug.

"Morning grumpy," I said, kissing the top of her head.

"Morning," she said back. "Is there a reason you woke me up at the crack of dawn?" I glanced over to Jasper, who had just gotten Alice awake. Her eyes were still closed but she was mumbling something incoherently to him.

"Actually, there is," I said to her. "You better be hungry," I told her. Her brows furrowed and she sat up a little more. She strained her neck to look behind me and saw the food that was on the table.

"Edward...you made me breakfast in bed?" She asked with a smile. She grabbed my hand and kissed the top of it. "Of course I'm hungry." I inched back over to the dresser and grabbed her plate and fork for her.

"There's apple juice if you're thirsty," I told her. She smiled and bit into a piece of toast.

"Food?" Alice gasped. I looked over to see Jasper nodding at her. Alice squealed like a little girl, bouncing in Jasper's lap. God she was funny. "I'm starved. And you...are amazing." Alice planted a kiss right on Jasper's lips and hugged him around the waist. He picked up her plate and Alice began eating ravenously, like she hadn't eaten in days.

"Hungry?" Jasper asked. Alice nodded as she took a large forkful of eggs. I laughed again as I turned my attention back to Bella. Only these three people could make me laugh at this early in the morning.

"It's so good Edward," Bella said after she swallowed a bite of pancake.

"Jasper and I are thinking about becoming professional chefs," I said with a wink. Bella laughed and almost spit out her strawberry when I said that.

"I...think, that's a good...idea," she said through bites of her food. She swallowed a third bite of pancake and looked at me curiously. "Have you eaten yet? Are you hungry?" After preparing the food and watching her eat I felt as hungry as a kid at fat camp. But this was her breakfast, my treat to her.

"I'm going to eat after," I told her with a gentle smile. She frowned a little and set her fork down.

"Please eat some. I feel so bad. This is all so amazing," she bit her lip afterwards and gave me her puppy dog eyes. Damn her.

"Bella," I scolded. "Please eat your breakfast. Are you thirsty?" I picked her glass up and gave it to her. She gave up on trying to get me to eat and drank down half the glass.

"I'm full," she said after she drank her apple juice. My brows arched at her, knowing she was lying just to get me to eat.

"Seriously, I'm eating after. Don't make me force feed you Bella." I tried to keep a straight face but it proved impossible around her. I cracked a small smile as she grudgingly picked the fork back up.

"Can I make you breakfast then?" She asked after swallowing a piece of bacon. I rolled my eyes, but conceded. I suppose she was feeling guilty that I did something for her; she felt that she had to return the favour. I just did this for her because it seemed like the perfect way for her to start her year.

"You can make me breakfast if you wish," I told her. She smiled, like she had just won some sort of prize, and continued eating. Alice, shockingly, was done before Bella. She was tiny and unsuspecting. Most times you never knew with Alice, she always kept you on your toes. She was perfect for Jasper because he was the laid back, 'go with the flow' type of guy. So anything Alice decided to do was most likely fine with Jasper because he was so free spirited and accepting of things.

"Done," Bella announced a few minutes after Jasper and Alice had left. I looked to her empty plate and grinned, thankful that she was putting her stubborn behaviour aside for the morning.

"Good," I replied. She set the plate down on the bed and crawled into my side, her small hands caressing the side of my neck.

"Thank you so much," she said quietly. Her voice was thick and deep. I pulled her head away from mine and her face looked full of emotion.

"Hey, love, you okay?" I asked her, brushing my fingers across her cheek. She nodded and smiled her gorgeous smile. "You sure?"

"I'm positive. This is the first time in my life I can actually say that. You," she said, swallowing hard, "you have no idea how much you have changed me Edward." Her eyes, a deep molten chocolate, gazed lovingly at me. Her raw emotion made me speechless. "I can't thank you enough for just...being you. For being with me, and loving me. You've changed my life." She had no idea how much she had all of a sudden done the exact same thing to me.

"_Without warning, as a whirlwind swoops on an oak, love shakes my heart,_" I said to her. Her eyes were wide as I quoted poetry to her. Poetry had always been a favourite of mine in high school and I hadn't really studied it much lately. Since I had taken my Classics class we had briefly ventured into Ancient Greek Poetry, and Sappho was one of the few poets we studied. The short poem stuck in my mind because it reminded me of my love for Bella and how sudden it all was.

"Bella you've changed _my _life. More than you will ever know." She continued to stare at me, her eyes blurring and brimming with tears.

"That was beautiful," she said quietly, fumbling with my fingers as she held my hand. "Who is it?" I shrugged; she most likely wouldn't know who it was.

"Sappho. An Ancient Greek poet." I reached my hand up to her face and softly grazed it with a gentle intensity. "Without warning Bella you just walked right into that floor meeting and changed my life."

"Actually I think it was you who walked into the floor meeting. I was already there," she said to me with a smile. She hadn't shed a tear, but I could tell she was emotional as hell.

"Either way," I said, smiling at her technicality, "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied, her swimming eyes finally retreating. I often found that when Bella was emotional and crying I was usually the same. I was thankful she didn't cry because I would probably have done the same thing. "Come on. I can hear your stomach grumbling from here," she said with a cute laugh. She reached up and quickly kissed me on the nose before taking her empty plate and glass, and heading out the door. I followed her down the stairs, watching her make her way through my house like it was her own. When we met our destination of the kitchen I was greeted with a full house. Carlisle and Esme joined Alice and Jasper, and surprisingly Emmett was there too.

"So," I said to Bella, sitting down beside Jasper. "What's for breakfast?" She grinned at me and immediately went to work, flitting around the kitchen comfortably with Alice as the rest of us merely sat around the island and talked. Esme and Carlisle were sharing their usual toast and omelette, complete with orange juice and coffee. Emmett was eating a bowl of something that looked vaguely like Count Chocula. What was he, six? That had been the best cereal though. What kid wouldn't love it? All the major food groups were included. Sugar, check. Chocolate milk, check. Marshmallows, check.

**B.P.O.V**

I flopped down on the couch, surrounded by the other people that were helping with the move; Edward, Jasper, Emmett, Alice, Leah and Seth. Dad and Sue were still rearranging the furniture in the room that was now 'theirs'. I had just finished carrying Leah's bed up the stairs with her, something I wished I had let Edward or Emmett do. My arms were tired and sore from so many trips out to the moving truck. The snow also worked to my disadvantage, threatening to trip me on more than one occasion.

"Good god Leah. What's your bed made of? Bricks?" I asked, rotating my shoulder to make sure I wasn't in danger of permanent damage. She laughed at me and sat down beside me, wrapping her arm around my shoulder.

"Tough it out step-sis," she said with a chuckle. "And no, it's not made of bricks."

"I told you to let me do it," Edward said to me. I frowned up at him, not liking when he used that 'told you so' tone.

"I'm fine," I replied with a forced smile. He pursed his lips and stayed quiet, knowing I was getting aggravated from such a long day. It was only two days after New Years, and Leah, Seth and Sue were finally all moved in. I was happy that they'd finally be living here. I had felt bad about leaving Charlie all by himself when I left for school, but now he'd have a whole family with him all the time.

"Maybe you should go relax," Alice said in a sweet voice. "Use the bath salts and aromatic candles I bought you for Christmas." It actually sounded like a fantastic idea. It was just after one o'clock and we needed to leave by three. The concert was tonight – in Seattle. It would take us a few hours to get there even at Edward's speed, and the doors opened at seven.

"Alright. I think I'll do that. Are you going to go home and get ready?" Alice went deep into thought for a few seconds before replying.

"I might go home and get changed. I'll get ready here with you," she said finally. "I'll be back in an hour or so." She took Jasper's hand and they left the room. Emmett and Edward were standing languidly near the doorway to living room while Leah and Seth sat on the couch with me.

"I think I'm going to go get my room organized," Leah said with a smile. "Have fun tonight," she told me, getting up off the couch. She left the living room, with Seth right on her heels. That kid loved her more than any sibling loved their sister, he was her shadow.

"Thanks for helping us today Emmett, you really didn't have to," I said with a shy smile. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly at me.

"No problem Bella. I don't mind. It's not like I've got anything else to do, right? Besides, I kind of like hanging out with you guys," he said, nudging his shoulder against Edward's. Edward gave Emmett a small smile...a small _forced _smile. I tried not to get all worked up because he was upset. I had upset him. Our minor tiff that occurred mere minutes ago was still eating at him. He had to know that we would argue and get mad at each other every now and then? That's what made a relationship a relationship. Sensing that Edward wasn't being his usual self Emmett took his cue to leave.

"I'll, uh, see you guys later. I'm going to hit the road. Have fun at the concert," Emmett said, patting Edward on the back.

"Later," Edward replied lifelessly. Emmett waved me a goodbye and I did the same back, waiting for Edward to just say something.

"Are you going to have a bath? Alice will be back in an hour," he said, glancing to the clock on the wall. I stood up and went over to him, taking his stubborn face in my hands. He averted my gaze constantly, no matter which way I turned his head.

"Look at me!" I finally said with annoyance in my voice. "What is your problem?" I asked when his eyes met mine.

"I...Before I didn't mean to sound like a jerk. I wasn't trying to rub it in your face that I was right. I just...felt bad for you being sore. I just said you should have let me carry it. I hope you're not mad at me. Because Bella it's really nothing. I mean..." I bit my lip to stop from laughing now, and covered his mouth with my hand. He was beginning to sound like me.

"Shh," I told him. "You're rambling. I just got annoyed. I'm tired and sore...and yes, you were right, smart ass," I said with a smile. "Edward if we have little arguments or tiffs here and there don't get all depressed, please. We'll argue, and we'll fight sometimes. It's what makes us human. We aren't perfect." He raised an eyebrow and stepped away from me.

"Speak for yourself," he remarked sarcastically. I dropped my mouth open at his words and instantly began laughing.

"Well aren't we the optimist?" I asked, sauntering towards him. He shrugged and smiled playfully before he ascended the stairs to my room. I followed him up and trailed into the room after him. I tripped when walking in the door and cursed myself when I planted my hands on the bed to save me from falling. I looked up to find Edward standing in my room shirtless, _very _shirtless. Every organ started to catch fire and ache to touch the naked skin in front of me.

"Edward..." I said with a groan. His perfect, bare chest was too much to take. "What are you doing?" He stretched his arms out to the sides and curled them in. His muscles flexed perfectly, making him look mouth-watering. He was right, I speak for myself.

"Changing," he said with a smirk. He had brought a change of clothes for the concert so he wouldn't have to go all the way home again. "Oh...and giving you yours. I hope this tortures you as much as you've tortured me." I bit my lip and stood up fully, willing my eyes to look away from his body. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that every part of me was burning to touch him.

"Need to shower," I said hastily with an unconvincing smile. I grabbed my towel off the hook and bolted out the door, listening to Edward's laughter as I slammed the door shut. The wood reverberated against the frame as I rested my head against it. I calmed my swiftly beating heart by turning on the shower and letting the steam fill the small bathroom. As I undressed, I tried so hard not to focus on the fact that Edward was most likely partially undressed as well and less than ten feet away from me. I stepped into the steaming shower once I was bare and eagerly let the warm water rinse away the labours of my day and the heat inside my chest.

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**A/N:** First off, to anyone who was confused at my reference with the Stable Boy and the Princess...that whole 'as you wish'...Buttercup thing. That is from The Princess Bride. One of my all-time favourite movies. It's amazing and cheesy and I love it. If you've seen it you most likely know what I'm talking about.

I don't really have a second off...hmm...

**_But! Reviews are better than killing the six-fingered man! : ) ....maybe not for Indigo._**


	26. Creepy Cookies

**A/N: **First off, my utterly sincere apologies to everyone! I had a horrible case of writer's block when it came to this chapter. I have no clue why. I just couldn't get the right words out in the right way. It was driving me insane. But here it is...finally.

I want to thank all my readers for being so awesome thus far! You're all fabulous, thanks for all the reviews : )

I hope everyone is enjoying the story, and again sorry if it's a horrible chapter, I had a lot of trouble writing it.

I won't keep you any longer.

Enjoy!

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B.P.O.V

"Why is this always so hard for you?" Alice asked with frustration.

"I don't know Alice?" I whined, taking in the vast array of clothes I hadn't even known existed. I grabbed some old pair of shorts and a shirt and just tossed them in the open bag on the floor next to my bed. I didn't really care what I'd be wearing to bed tonight. It's not like Edward would care either. The thing I was having problems with was my outfit for tonight. "I've always been like this!"

"I know Bella. But you would think after so many years you'd start to get the hang of it? I mean at school you were doing pretty good." She eyed me curiously as she pulled something from my closet.

"Here. Just wear this vintage shirt with your jeans, it'll look perfect. Hair will be curly, as always," she said commandingly. I nodded and took the colourful shirt from Alice's tiny outstretched hand and slid it on over my head. I didn't know why the hell I was putting so much thought into my outfit for the concert? It would be dark and loud, and Edward wouldn't really be paying any attention to me. I was such a moron sometimes. I sat down at my desk and thought about how excited I was for this night. They weren't only Edward's favourite band, but they were one of my favourites as well. I could hear the Spill Canvas C.D playing quietly in the background as Alice curled my hair. Jasper and Edward were downstairs, most likely watching the game with Charlie, while we were up here getting ready. It was nearing three o'clock and we needed to head out soon to make it there in time. I heard a faint knock on the door just as Alice was finishing up my hair. I told whoever it was to come in and when the door opened it was Sue.

"Hey Sue," I said with a smile.

"Hey you two. I just wanted to say thanks for today Bella. I appreciate all of your friends coming to help us move. It really made everything go a lot faster," she replied in a cheerful tone.

"Oh god Sue don't worry about it. It was nothing, really," I said with assurance. "I actually think Emmett was dying for something to do."

"Yeah Sue," Alice agreed. "Jasper and I were more than happy to help out." Sue's smile brightened as she relaxed a little bit.

"Well I appreciate it all the same Alice," she replied. "I wanted to say thank you and I wanted to tell you to have fun tonight."

"Thanks Sue," I said, standing up from my chair. I went over and gave her a hug. For the first time since I had been home I looked at Sue. I mean I _really _looked at her. The more I took in her every feature the more I realized that she would soon be my step-mother. By the time summer started I would have four parental figures.

"Not a problem sweetheart. I'll see you tomorrow." With that she left the room. I turned back around to Alice who was putting some finishing touches on her make-up.

"Alright, you ready?" I asked Alice. She finished her coat of mascara and shook her head.

"Nope. You still need make-up missy," Alice said, waving the tube of mascara at me. I rolled my eyes and went to sit in the chair again. I figured arguing with her was useless. We needed to leave soon and arguing that I didn't need make-up would only waste time. I let her quickly do my make-up and before I knew it we were heading down the stairs, bags in tow, to get the guys. I could hear some yelling and shouting coming from the living room, and laughed when I found Edward, Jasper, and Seth playing a video game.

"Holy crow Seth!" Edward yelled, turning his hands with the controller. "I give up!" I saw Edward's shoulders slump as he set the controller down on the table. "How in the hell are you so good at that?" I knew Edward was disgustingly good at video games, but Seth was a fifteen year old kid with no girlfriend and an Xbox for a best friend.

"I play a lot," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Well you're good," Jasper remarked. It looked like he had given up a while ago. Edward had told me that Jasper's video game playing ability's were hilarious to watch.

"Ahem," I said from the doorway. Alice and I were watching them, trying not to laugh because they were such dorks. "Are we ready to go?" Edward's head snapped around to meet my voice when I spoke. His face broke out into a smile as he rather blatantly looked me up and down. Could he have made that any less obvious?

"Oh were ready," Jasper said, standing up. Edward's eyes were transfixed on me as he got up and said goodbye to Seth. Jasper was to Alice at the same time Edward was to me. Jasper took Alice's hand and they went to get their coats. Edward just stared at me...almost making me uncomfortable.

"Why are you staring?" I asked, biting my lip nervously. He smiled and gently brushed my hair behind my shoulder.

"Because you look amazing," he said quietly with a smile. I blushed like a fool. He chuckled and dragged his fingers across my coloured skin.

"You look pretty good yourself," I said to him, kissing his chin. He bent down further and kissed my cheek, taking my hand and the bag I had temporarily dropped on the floor, leading me down the hall. Alice and Jasper were waiting by the door, locked in an embrace as we got our coats.

"Bells?" I heard Charlie call. I couldn't believe I almost forgot to say bye to my dad. Whoops.

"Yeah dad?" I asked, turning towards the direction of his voice. He was emerging from the kitchen, a beer in one hand and a newspaper in the other.

"You leaving now?"

"Yeah," I replied hesitantly. I knew Charlie absolutely hated the idea of me spending the night in some Seattle hotel with my boyfriend, my best friend, and her boyfriend. He wasn't stupid; he knew I wasn't sharing it with Alice like I told him I would be.

"Okay," he said with flared nostrils. He came to stand right in front of me and Edward, giving him the most furious glare I'd ever seen. "You be safe, okay?" I wanted to laugh at the double meaning to his words, but couldn't. It was too disturbing knowing that Charlie knew I wasn't staying the night with Alice in a hotel.

"I will dad," I said, taking Edward's hand out of mine. I leant in and gave Charlie a hug, getting no hug back because he had full hands. He merely patted me on the shoulder with the back of the hand that was holding the can of beer.

"Love you hun," he said, glancing back to Edward again.

"Love you too, dad," I replied, turning around to leave.

We hurried out the door and Edward gripped my hand tightly as we made our way down the stairs. He was so protective of me all the time, it made my heart do crazy things inside my chest. We quickly made a bee-line for the car because it was beginning to snow, and Edward helped me in the passenger door before he put mine and Alice's bags in the back and went around to the driver's side.

"Well...I'm sure your dad just _loves _me now," Edward grumbled, turning on the car. I laughed now, not being able to help the awkwardness and obviousness of the situation.

"I hope it's not snowing in Seattle," Alice said from the back, glumly looking out the window. I turned around after I stopped laughing and gave her a look that said 'yeah, I know.' If it was snowing when we got to Seattle it would most definitely be a pain in the ass waiting in the snow for the doors to open.

"I checked the weather while you guys were getting ready," Jasper said, making Alice smile. "It's not supposed to be snowing, thankfully. But it's supposed to be cold." I frowned. I hated waiting outside in the cold. But...I would have Edward. I knew that he would keep me warm at any cost. I'd bet he would give me his jacket if I asked him to – not that I would.

"Oh well," I said as Edward began pulling out of the driveway. "It'll be worth it!" I saw Edward smile out of the corner of my eye. He was more excited for this than anything. He loved this band, which is why I bought him tickets in the first place.

"Here," Alice said, tapping me on the shoulder. She produced the C.D we had been listening to from somewhere underneath her coat and handed it to me. "Let's listen to it." I took it and slid it into the thin slot in the dash, and waited for it to load. Music started to pulse from the speakers, filling the car with the noise we would be subject to the entire night. The roads weren't too bad as Edward carefully but quickly made his way to Seattle. We stopped once for a bathroom break, but Alice refused to stop for too long, saying we would be late if we did. Sure her 'neat freak' quirk was disappearing with her resolution, but her others were heightening. It sort of reminded me of someone who loses one of their senses. It was like she was blind. Her sense of neatness was gone, and now to compensate for its disappearance her other senses were being heightened, making her a tad more obsessive over punctuality and my wardrobe.

"Okay," Edward said after being in Seattle for about twenty-five minutes. "I think that's it." He pointed to a large building just ahead of us as I squinted at the directions, looking at the name of the place we needed. It was something called the Moore Theatre. I looked up to where Edward was pointing.

"Moore Theatre?" I asked him. We both squinted out the window, trying to look for a name.

"Yeah," Alice said from behind me. "I see the name, that's it." She was pointing somewhere I couldn't see for the life of me. I trusted her though.

"Alright. Well where's parking?" Edward asked, looking around again. I saw a large sign that said 'Parking, 15$' with an arrow pointing to a garage just to the left of the building we needed.

"Turn left," I said to him, pointing to the garage.

"Oh, good call," he said, smirking at me before signalling to turn. After descending into the garage Edward pulled to a stop beside the small, dingy kiosk. He rolled down the window and pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket. I never understood where he constantly got his money from. I mean he was rich, sure, but he _always _had money on him. He produced a twenty from the stack and handed it to the man in the kiosk like it was any other piece of paper. I bet if he lost that entire stack of money he wouldn't even notice.

After we were parked in the more than sketchy parking garage, we hastily headed for the exit. It was just after six by the time we emerged onto the street, the darkening sky-line alerting us to the fall of night. Edward held my hand and kept me close as we walked, insisting he take the side closest to the road. It was a small and gentlemanly gesture, making my heart swell with affection towards my Edward. It did, however, feel awkward on my hand as we usually held hands with the ones that were swinging limply at our sides.

"I'm so excited!" Alice said while bouncing to the end of the line with Jasper's hand locked in hers.

"I know me too," I said, squeezing Edward's hand tighter. He smiled down at me and pulled me in for a hug, kissing the top of my head.

"Cold?" He asked. I lifted my face from his chest and saw a faint shade of pink gracing his nose and cheeks. The wind was picking up, but his body was blocking it from getting to me.

"Nope. I have my own personal space heater," I said, snaking my arms around his waist. He laughed quietly and stuck his face in my hair, nuzzling into it.

"Are you cold?" He pulled his face out of my stylishly curled hair that had been led astray from the wind and nodded down to me. His slightly chapped lips were quivering from the cold. I ran my hands quickly up and down each of his arms, trying to generate some sort of heat. I glanced over to Alice and Jasper, noting that he was doing the same to her. She was so tiny that her body heat practically evaporated from her like water evaporates off a surface on a hot day.

"We still have like forty-five minutes until the damn doors even open," Edward said with a groan. I stepped up on my toes and kissed his dry lips, wrapping my arms around his waist. He pulled away and stroked his bottom lip with his warm tongue, making it glisten in the light provided by the street lamp. He tenderly placed his now smooth lips against my mouth and resumed his position, earning a gentle and satisfied sigh from me. I felt him shivering against me and I parted from him, keeping the tightest hold on his chilled body. It was going to be a long forty-five minutes.

"Finally!" A chattering Edward groaned, holding me just as tight as he had been. After a gruelling fifty minutes in the cold the line was finally beginning to move. By this point I was shivering uncontrollably as well. My space heater had been depleted of its internal warmth a while ago.

"Thank g-god," I said, letting Edward pull me along with him. Alice and Jasper trailed behind us as we slowly made our way up to the front on the building. The entire crowd of people were all rejoicing and thanking whatever god was out there that they were finally able to get inside. As we neared the entrance, Alice distributed our tickets to each of us. I had left her in charge of holding onto them because I was scared I would have lost or misplaced them.

When we got to the doors I handed my ticket to a burly, scary looking man wearing a yellow vest. He scanned my ticket with a small hand-held machine and motioned me onward, looking to the person behind me. I stepped fully into the building, gratefully welcoming the warmth on my cheeks and nose. They stung greatly from the intense change in temperature, but as Edward's hand took up mine the electricity coursing into my palm numbed my feelings of mild pain. Edward's gentle tug pulled me to the side of the entrance, allowing for people to file in after us.

"Oh my god, I'm defrosting," Alice said as she bounded to my side. The damn pixie nearly scared the life out of me. In my mind I wanted to jump because Alice had scared me, but my body wouldn't let me. It was like I was paralyzed from the cold.

"Same," I said with a faint smile. "Alright...where do we go?" I asked everyone, looking down at my ticket. I looked up to find Alice and Jasper already leading the way, and Edward began towing me along in the direction they were going. Alice flitted to the side of another man in a yellow vest and showed him her ticket. He pointed to the left and smiled at her, telling her where she was to go. Edward and I followed, listening to the excited chatter of the hundreds of people that filled the halls.

"So are you going to get merch?" I asked Edward, eyeing one of the already crowded tables. It was ridiculous waiting in line for shirts and sweaters, but I did it anyways. It was worth it to spend twenty-five dollars on a T-shirt that said Spill Canvas on it.

"Merch?" Edward asked curiously, glancing sideways at me. I furrowed my brows and pointed to the table.

"Yeah...merchandise," I said. He looked to where I was pointing and smacked himself lightly on the forehead.

"Oh...yeah. Probably. Sorry, I don't know your slang," he said, grinning that perfect crooked grin at me. I knew I would never get used to the dazzling effect the man had on me. When he looked away from me I still stared at him, watching his eyes raking over the entire scene in front of him.

"Have you ever been to a concert before?" I asked, finally willing myself to look away from his captivating face. He shrugged his shoulders in response.

"No. I'm not sure why. I love music," he replied confusedly. Oh how I loved him. "Have you?"

"Yeah, I've been to a few. But only when I was younger." I saw Alice and Jasper ahead of us turn right, into a narrow entrance.

"Who have you seen?" He asked, following the direction the other two had taken. I bit my lip when he asked me that question.

"Uh...it's kind of embarrassing," I said, making my way carefully down the stairs, Alice and Jasper only steps ahead of us.

"Why?" Edward asked with a laugh. I turned to look at him and blushed. He grinned at me again, making me blush even more. I was about to respond when I bumped into the back of the person in front of me.

"Damn Bells, watch where you're walking," Alice said, turning around. I placed my hand on my chest, which had collided with her head, and laughed. I couldn't do anything else but laugh at this point. I was such a klutz, and it wasn't getting any better as the months wore on. Edward had brought out the shy, clumsy Bella once again. As Edward pulled me into my seat, still hysterically laughing with Alice, I finally began to settle. I unzipped my coat and threw it over the back of the seat, letting it hang down behind my chair. I looked about the massive theatre, watching as everyone filed into their appropriate seats. In the center of the large theatre was a stage, obviously. People were hastily running around it, setting up amps and guitar-stands and a very large drum set.

"So are you going to tell me why it's embarrassing?" Edward asked. I peeled my eyes away from the rest of the theatre and focussed them on him. His entire body was angled toward me, his right arm draped comfortably over the back of my seat. I smirked and bit my lip, turning to Alice who was next to me. I had been to my very first concert with her.

"You remember the first concert we ever went to?" I asked Alice, making her tiny body fly around to face me.

"Oh my god!" She said, slapping a hand over her mouth. She giggled uncontrollably afterwards. "How embarrassing! Well at the time I guess they were a big deal." Edward tapped me on the shoulder.

"Yes?" I asked my impatient boyfriend.

"I'm still waiting for an answer. Who'd you see?" I laughed and shook my head.

"Okay, when Alice and I were in grade...what was it Al? Seven? Eight?" I asked Alice.

"Seven," she responded from behind me.

"So in grade seven Alice and I went to our first concert. We saw Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera," I said, unable to stop the stupid giggle from leaving my lips. Edward laughed hysterically beside me, shaking his head.

"Justin Timberlake? Really?" He said, placing a hand over his stomach as he continued to laugh.

"Yes! Justin Timberlake was so awesome like seven years ago alright? And besides, didn't you hear a while ago that he was 'brining sexy back'?" I couldn't believe I had just said that. I was such a loser. Edward laughed harder, and I heard Alice and Jasper laughing behind me.

"Please...don't ever say that...again," Edward said to me through his laughter. I smiled coyly and nodded.

"I'm such a loser," I said.

"I'm a loser too!" Alice said. "I saw them with you. Well you're more of a loser for just saying something so cheesy, but still." Edward's hand that was rested on the back of my chair began softly rubbing circles on my shoulder, relaxing me instantly.

"Well then...at least we're cool losers," I said to her, grinning like an idiot.

"The coolest," she replied, sticking her tiny hand out for a high-five. I didn't want to leave her hanging so I went to smack her hand, and only caught half of it.

"Okay...maybe you two aren't the coolest losers," Jasper said, causing Alice to pout. I laughed at her and eased myself into Edward's side, letting his hand caress the side of my neck. Alice turned determinedly back to me and stuck her hand out again, stretching her palm as far as it would go. I did the same and we lined up our high-five, making it impossible to miss. She smacked her hand against mine and smiled victoriously, turning back to Jasper.

"You are such a dork," Edward said to me, his warm breath sending a wave of heat flooding through my cold body.

"I know," I said, shrugging because it was true. "I can't help it." I felt his lips turn up into a smile as he brushed them against my ear.

"I wouldn't change you for the world. I love you just the way you are," he replied, kissing the side of my face. I felt nothing but awe as I let him kiss me gently on the cheek, letting emotion seep into every inch of me.

"Why are you so damn perfect?" I asked, turning my face. I was met with a burning green stare, making me zero in all my attention on him. Sound and movement were tuned out, leaving me in a plastic bubble with Edward. I wasn't even aware of Alice and Jasper.

"Why are you so beautiful?" He replied, threading his fingers through my hair. My cheeks burned at him, making me feel like a fool. "Every time," he said with a grin. He ghosted his fingers across my cheek, making the burning flesh cool with his freezing touch. "Your cheek is so warm," he said, placing his whole hand against my skin.

"Ah!" I said, peeling his hand off. "You're so cold!" He dropped his hand to his lap and frowned a little.

"Sorry," he said, kissing my forehead. His lips were warm, unlike his hands. "Want to go wait in that crazy line?" He pointed towards the door as he said this. I nodded.

"Yeah. May as well go now. We still have a while before they start." We both stood up, lacing our fingers together the _right_ way.

"Where you two going?" Alice asked, shifting her legs so we could get by.

"Merch," I replied. "You want something?"

"I'm not sure I want anything. If I do I'll just get it after," Alice shrugged. Jasper stretched out his legs and pulled something from his pocket. He hand me forty dollars.

"Just grab me a shirt. Anything...doesn't matter," Jasper said.

"Aright," I said, stepping into the aisle. I made my way up the stairs with Edward in tow. The halls were still crowded with people, a constant hum of noise echoing off the concrete walls.

"We're going to be here forever," Edward said, stepping onto his tip toes. I shook my head.

"No we won't. I know how these things work. When someone moves just push. It gets you up there a lot faster." Edward looked down to me with shock on his face.

"Bella," he scolded. "You push people at concerts?" I laughed.

"Oh yeah. You get to see a whole new me. Get ready for aggressive Bella," I said with a wiggle of my eyebrows. Edward's brows rose slowly as a grin spread across his face. We waited in line for about ten minutes, and I had been right. Aggressive Bella was making herself known. Each time someone left the line I would push through, pulling Edward behind me. When I got to the front I bought myself a T-shirt, and one for Jasper. Edward bought himself a shirt, and one for Emmett. I pushed my way out of the horde of people and fanned myself with my hand. Now I was hot. Standing in between a hundred sweaty people almost made me nauseas, and erased any trace of the coldness I had felt before.

"You know what?" Edward said, wrapping his arms around my waist. He held both shirts in his hand as he walked slowly behind me, careful not to step on the backs of my feet.

"What's that?" I asked, placing my hands on his.

"I think I'd like to see aggressive Bella more often," he replied suggestively. "Not to sound vaguely like Paris Hilton...but that was hot." I laughed, but noted the seriousness to his tone.

"Who's the dork now?" I asked as he tickled me. He released me after a few seconds and I turned around to face him. He was smiling my favourite smile, shaking his head.

"Cool losers?" He asked, raising his hand for a high-five. I smiled and lined my hand up with his, smacking it forcefully. He entwined them and pulled my hand to his face, kissing the back of it sweetly.

"The coolest," I replied breathlessly.

**E.P.O.V**

The entire concert I stood, not wanting to sit unmoving in my seat. Everyone had been standing, some people even moving into the aisles to dance and thrash around. The first two bands who performed, whose name's had completely slipped my mind, were pretty good openers. They played a few songs each, taking about a half an hour at most. When Spill Canvas finally came on the entire theatre erupted in ear-shattering screams of affection, us included. They opened with an older song called 'Natalie Marie and 1cc', one of my favourite songs by them. They played a combination of older and newer songs, making this night for me one of my most memorable. They were playing a newer song now and I felt Bella gently swaying in front of me, my hands resting on her hips. She said she couldn't dance? Well I disagreed. The mesmerizing and rhythmic motion she was creating as she gently moved from side to side was nearly hypnotic. I rested my head on her shoulder and watched her move, listening to the song rather than watching them perform it.

When they finished up the song I felt Bella's hands wrap around mine, and I looked down to her face, trying to make out what she was saying to me. I furrowed my brows and pointed to my ears, trying to tell her I couldn't hear her. She smiled and leant up to me, placing her lips right against my ear.

"They didn't play my song," she said, pouting afterwards. I set my lips against her ear now and whispered back.

"I bet you a million bucks they play it now," I replied, holding out my hand for her to shake. She shook it with force, but looked as if she knew I was right.

"Seattle," the lead singer mused on stage. "You guys are fucking awesome!" Everyone in the crowd cheered and clapped, not wanting the music to end. "But sadly...it has to end sometime. We'd like to play you all one more song before you leave though okay?" His voice was raspy from singing, and I could visibly see him sweating from my seat. Everyone was cheering again. "This song is one of my personal favourites. It's about eternal love." He barely got those words off his lips before the entire crowd, and Bella, erupted with high-pitched screams. She was jumping and squealing in my arms, smiling that smile I loved so much. I told her they'd play it; it was one of their most popular songs. "It's called: This is For Keeps." I felt Bella's body relax and ease into the music as it started softly. As the lead singer began his part everyone was singing along, knowing the words like the back of their hand.

"The streets are dark, my pulse is flat-lined, as I'm running to you," me and the rest of the theatre sang. I couldn't even hear my own voice over the sounds of everyone else.

The entire song Bella swayed comfortably in my arms as I floated my hands around her waist, holding her gently. I felt connected to her through this song because it reminded me of us. We were for keeps, what we had – it was forever. We were young and hadn't been dating for long, but I just knew. I would never want anyone else like I would want her.

When the song finished Bella was grinning from ear to ear, and wrapped her arms around my waist. Everyone was still cheering as the band left the stage, encouraging an encore.

"That was amazing!" I heard Alice yell from beside me. She was bouncing excitedly beside Jasper, clapping her hands. I nodded in her direction, smiling. I was glad that Bella had decided to bring them along with us.

"I know!" Bella yelled back. After a minute we all collected our coats and purchased items, stepping out into the crowding aisles. We were in a painfully slow moving line for about five minutes before we were greeted with the welcoming, wide halls that we had walked through on our way in.

"So you enjoyed it?" I asked Bella, holding her hand as we walked towards the exit.

"It was amazing," she said with a smile. "But I guess I owe you a million bucks huh?" I laughed at her, nodding my head.

"You most certainly do," I replied, holding out my hand to collect. "Will you be paying me in cash?" She laughed now, shaking her head.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Cullen, I seem to be unable to pay you," she remarked, smiling wickedly. "Is there another form of payment you'd deem acceptable?" I grinned, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"You can repay me with your services, Miss Swan," I quietly whispered in her ear. I felt the heat emanating from her face as she smiled.

"How long would I need to be of your service to pay off my debt?" She asked cutely.

"Oh...only forever," I said, kissing the side of her cheek.

"Wow. That's a long time," she replied, darting her eyes up to mine. I shook my head.

"It won't be long enough," I told her as we found ourselves at the entrance to the theatre once again.

"_Eternity _would never be enough for me," she said, coming to a stop near the exit. She smiled at me as she quoted the song she had been dying to hear all night. I smiled down at her in response – I felt the same way. Even if we spent a lifetime together I would constantly be wishing for more.

"Where's Alice and Jasper?" She asked, peering around the swarms of people. I shrugged and looked around too, trying to find the messy crop of blond hair of my best friend that I would recognize anywhere.

"I don't know...wait. Were they in front of us? I wasn't even really paying attention," I said honestly. I don't really recall much else besides talking and paying attention to her as we had walked away from the theatre.

"Uh," Bella said, making a funny face. She didn't know either. Not a second later Alice and Jasper emerged from the crowd, looking flustered.

"Sorry, bathroom," Alice said with a fierce arm wave. "The line up was so long! Then some _bitch _tried to cut in front of me!" I heard Bella guffawing next to me and couldn't help but laugh too. Alice could have probably taken that chick down if she actually had snaked in front of her.

"Oh," I said, trying to calm myself. "We were wondering where the hell you went." Alice just nodded her head, looking up to Jasper beside her. He sweetly kissed her forehead and shook his head at her. Little stuff like that always ate at her, she hated people like that.

"Alright," Jasper said. "Am I the only one who's completely starving?"

"God no," I said, putting my hand to my stomach. "I'm so hungry."

"What do you think the chances are that something is actually opened?" Alice asked with pessimism. This was Seattle she was talking about. I'm sure there's a ton of twenty-four hour fast food joints scattered across the city.

"I think there should be some places opened," I said with a shrug. "You hungry?" I asked Bella. She waved her hand as if to say 'kind of'. "Then let's go get food and get to the hotel."

I remembered the look Charlie had given me before we left. If I was being honest, Bella's father was more than intimidating. He was a cop, fully equipped with a gun, and I was the asshole that was screwing his 'little girl'. He knew we were staying in a hotel, and most likely assumed that she and Alice would _not _actually be sharing a room. He wasn't a stupid man. I knew that _he _knew better than to accept what Bella had told him. Hence the reason for his lovely glares earlier.

I took Bella's hand again as we left in search of food. I was darting my eyes from building to building, trying to see if there was anything nearby that seemed good. I would have eaten anything at this point. The last thing I'd eaten was a stale bag of chips I bought at the gas station when Alice had permitted us the one stop on the way here. In my perusal I caught sight of a small twenty-four hour Chinese take-out place on the corner of the street.

"Wait," I said, halting my steps. Bella looked up to me, and I pointed to the tiny restaurant. "Anyone up for Chinese?"

"As long as it's not cat," Jasper said, making me laugh. "I'm kidding. Yeah, sounds good." I couldn't help but laugh as we made our way across the street. It was late at night but the streets were busy. I guess Seattle never sleeps.

"Do you guys just want to get something and then take it back to the hotel?" Bella asked. It sounded good to me; from what I could see there was no seating in the place.

"Fine by me," I replied. When we actually got to the door I could see a small table and four chairs; the only furniture that occupied the front of the store. As we entered a small, soft bell jingled, alerting the staff to our entrance. The walls to the restaurant were plain white, adorned in random places with pictures and posters.

"Hello!" A small oriental woman called to us from behind the cash register. Her voice was loud, for being so small, and she seemed to have too much energy for it being eleven o'clock at night.

"Hello," I greeted back, glancing down to Bella. She was suppressing a laugh along with Alice.

"What would you like?" She asked, her accent making it nearly impossible to understand her. Her Chinese or Japanese – I wasn't sure which – accent was very strong; her English wasn't the greatest.

Bella looked confusedly at the rest of us and I pointed to the menu, making her giggle. After browsing for a few minutes we just decided to get a little bit of everything. We ended up ordering Shanghai Noodles, Chicken Fried Rice, Chicken Wings, Mixed Vegetables, and some sort of chicken. Jasper was sceptical and said that it may be cat, making me laugh harder when the oriental woman looked at him funny.

"Your total is thirty-four fifty," the woman said to us. I pulled out my credit card and handed it to her, earning protest from everyone.

"Really, I've got it," I said. I eyed Bella intently, shaking my head. "And you, missy. You're in violation of your resolution." She rolled her eyes.

"This isn't a present Edward. Its food," she said, putting a hand on her hip. I smirked at her.

"Are you hungry?" She knit her brows together.

"Yes," she replied, sounding as if she were unsure. What'd she think it was a trick question?

"Then it's a present. It's something you want and I'm buying it for you. End of story." The woman handed me back my card and my receipt, placing the food up on the counter.

"Would you like some fortune cookie?" The woman asked. I nodded, smiling at her accent. She hadn't pluralized the word cookie. She returned a second later with four fortune cookies, placing them in one of the bags she had put up on the counter.

"Thank-you," I said, passing the bags to the others. She bid me goodnight and we left out the door. "What a random little Chinese place," I said, shaking my head again.

"Only in Seattle," Bella mused, looking across the street.

"It better not be cat," Jasper murmured again, smiling at me. He was such a dork.

"Quit going on about it being cat Jasper. It's chicken," Alice said, linking their arms together. He chuckled at her and we crossed the street, heading back to the where the hotel was. I tried to go as fast as I could because it was freezing, but Bella and Alice were lagging. I knew it had been a long day with the move and all, and Bella was visibly getting more and more tired as we kept walking.

"Come on love. The faster you go the faster we can get out of the cold and you can sleep," I said, holding the bag in one hand and wrapping my other arm around her shoulder. I felt her nestle her head into it, sighing in content.

"I want sleep," she said drowsily. The hotel in which we were staying was also called The Moore, and it was all too conveniently adjoined to the theatre we had just spent the entire night occupying. Alice had made reservations a day or two ago under my name for two separate rooms. As we stepped into the hotel from the cold we were immersed in instant heat, surrounded by at least twenty other young people like ourselves. I guess this was a _very _convenient hotel for tonight's event. So again...we had to wait in a line to check in. After ten minutes or so a man in a black suit came out, taking a sign off the counter. He called to the crowd and asked anyone with a reservation to go to him. I silently thanked god for Alice and jumped out of line. We were the first of only about three groups of people.

"I have a reservation under Cullen," I said to the man. He typed away on the computer and located the reservation.

"For two rooms?" He asked.

"Yes," I replied. He went to a desk behind him and grabbed four card-keys from it. He placed them on the counter and returned to the computer. He told me the cost for the night, making Bella growl. She hated that I was paying a few hundred dollars to stay the night here. I would argue it was a present, something she needed. She would regret making that her resolution. When everything was settled the man went to call for a bell boy, but I had told him it wasn't necessary. We were on the third floor, and I told him it couldn't be that hard to find. We left the front counter with our food and headed for the elevator. When it came we crammed into it, most likely pushing the maximum weight because there were seven other people stuffed into the small space. We got off on our floor and headed for the rooms.

"Oh shit!" Bella said, stopping right in the middle of the hall. Alice and Jasper who had just gotten to their room turned and looked at us. "We forgot our bags Alice?" Alice stomped her little foot on the carpeted floor and made a noise that sounded remotely like a growl.

"Uh, whatever," Alice said, waving her hand. "I don't care. I'm not going back into that rancid garage at twelve o'clock at night. There's probably some creepy pedophile's waiting there." As she said this she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. Bella laughed, walking towards them. I followed, noticing that our room was right across the hall from Alice and Jasper's. We all filed into their room, admiring the decor.

"Ooh," Bella said, touching the wall. "I like the colour." The walls were a mix of several different shades of green. The brush strokes on the wall were noticeable, giving it a cool and interesting vibe. The lone king-sized bed sitting in the middle of the room was garnished with a crisp, gold comforter, folded neatly to drape over the side of the bed. I watched as Alice ran and jumped onto the bed, tugging the sheets out from underneath the mattress, making the once perfect surface crumple under her weight.

"Al, honey, stop jumping. Let's eat," Jasper said, trying to grab one of Alice's tiny wrists that were flailing about in her bouncing. She stopped jumping and frowned, letting Jasper pull her off the bed. Bella and I walked over and sat, setting the food on the bed. There were three bags filled to the top with delicious smelling Chinese food. It was nearly making me salivate.

"I can't remember the last time I had Chinese food," Bella said, opening the lid to some noodles. She rummaged around in the bags for the forks the woman had put in there and pulled them out after a minute. She handed each of us one and dug into the noodles. I could see she was conflicted, and it made me want to laugh. She was nearly falling asleep, but was clearly hungry. As she ate I watched her eyelids droop, making her head snap back up when they opened again. I opened the container of rice while Alice and Jasper had gone for the veggies and chicken.

The half an hour that followed that was mostly quiet. We ate and talked a little, mostly of the concert. Bella and Alice were too funny to watch, and I often exchanged humorous glances with Jasper because he thought it was funny too. After we had finished eating, there was nothing left. What the girls couldn't eat, Jasper and I happily devoured. I hadn't realized I was that hungry. I mean we hadn't eaten dinner, unless you call dinner that stale bag of Doritos I had earlier.

"I'm...so tired," Bella said with a yawn. She crawled over to an open section of bed and curled up, closing her eyes with a content smile on her face. I laughed and shook my head. Alice was curled up right by Jasper in the fetal position. I wasn't sure if she was asleep, but she hadn't said anything in a while.

"Alright man, I think we're going to go. She's practically falling asleep. I think Alice is too," I said to Jasper, tilting my head to look at Alice. I watched her little head shake from side to side.

"I'm not asleep. You people keep talking," Alice mumbled, her tiny brows forcing together. I shot Jasper a look and went to collect Bella off the bed.

"Okay, love, come here," I said, slipping my arms underneath her body. I pulled her up off the bed and watched as her eyes fluttered open. Her lips curled up into a small grin and she wrapped her arms around my neck, nearly hitting me in the face. She was severely un-coordinated. I turned to leave when Jasper stopped me.

"Edward, wait," Jasper said, making me turn around. "You forgot your fortune cookie, man." I rolled my eyes and watched with horror as he tossed me two. Did he honestly think I'd be able to catch them? They landed on the floor right by my feet. I had Bella in my arms, making it impossible to pick them up.

"Nice throw Jazz," I said, bending down as carefully as I could. "Bella can you pick up the cookies?" I asked her, watching her hair fall down into her face as she looked at the floor. She reached out and picked the cookies up, holding them to her chest. I felt my legs struggling as I stood back up and left the room. Shit, now I needed the room key.

"Bella, reach in my pocket and get the key," I said, motioning with my head to my back pocket. I felt her fumble around, digging her fingers into my pockets. She finally pulled one out and stuck it in the slot, waiting for the light to turn green before opening the door. The room was almost identical to Alice and Jasper's, except for the fact that everything was on the opposite side. I walked over to the bed and set Bella down on it. She crawled to the middle of it and laid the cookies beside her.

"I love you," she mumbled, peeling her eyes open. I went and sat down beside her relaxed form.

"I love you too," I replied, sweeping her hair behind her shoulder. "Here." I took up a fortune cookie and gave it to her. "What's your fortune say?"

I watched her as she slowly unwrapped the package, broke open the cookie, and squinted at the piece of paper. Maybe she needed glasses; she seemed to be squinting a lot.

"What's it say?" I asked. She gazed up at me with a look I didn't understand.

"Wow, that's creepy," she said, setting the fortune down. I picked up the small rectangle of paper and read it out loud in horror.

"News of an engagement will surprise you," I said, feeling a huge weight crushing down on my chest. What did she mean that's creepy? She didn't know I had a ring.

"What do you mean? How's it creepy?" I asked, trying with all my power not to let my voice crack. She looked at me funny, probably noticing my struggle.

"Well because the fortune's already happened. Charlie and Sue getting engaged. It's weird how a cookie knows that," she said with a small shrug of her shoulders. I relaxed significantly. But she was right...that was creepy. Not because of the fact that the fortune already happened, but because it _would _happen. I'm sure whenever I decided to propose to Bella she would be shocked.

"What's yours say?" She asked, nuzzling her face into the blanket. I put her oddly unsettling fortune down and ripped the wrapper to mine apart. I cracked the cookie opened and pulled out the piece of paper. I stared down at it, scared that my jaw was going to unhinge. What the hell was with these creepy fortunes? It said: You will take a chance in something in the near future. What the fuck does that mean? It could mean a many number of things, but my mind only drifted to one thing. One lone thing. Was I going to take a chance and propose to Bella when we were only eighteen?

"What's it say?" She asked again, snapping me out of my horrified daze.

"Uh...something about me taking chances?" I said, collecting the cookies and garbage off the bed. I set everything down on the nightstand and turned back to her.

"Hmm. Maybe you're taking a chance at school. Or maybe you're taking a chance agreeing to be my dad's groomsman," she said with a chuckle. Bless her soul for focussing these fortunes on her father and not us. Because if she did that, she would most definitely see all the signs I was seeing.

"I'm guessing it's the groomsman thing," I said, standing up off the bed. "I'm just going to the bathroom. I'll be back in a sec," I told her, heading for the bathroom. When I closed the door I gripped the side of the counter, staring into the mirror. Would I really go through with this? I mean...getting engaged? Only eighteen years old? I shook my head from side to side and stared at myself again.

_Okay Edward...think about this rationally. _

_You love Bella right?_

I loved her with everything I had.

_You'd never want anyone or anything else as long as you had her...correct?_

As long as I lived I wouldn't need anything.

_So...why wait?_

My mind made a good point. I shook my head again, trying to get rid of the fact that I just had a conversation with myself. I needed some sort of professional mental help. But I had a point. I had no reason to wait until we were twenty or something like that. Just because we're engaged doesn't mean we need to get married right away? I wasn't sure why I had wanted to propose to her, it was just something I really wanted to do. I wanted her to wear something that solidified the fact that she was taken, that she was mine. I knew that an engagement ring was the universal symbol that a girl belonged to someone. I knew that Bella was only for me, but I wanted the world to know it too. I wanted everyone to know that one day I would marry her, and have kids with her.

I took off my shirt and pants, setting them down on the counter, unable to get thoughts of my future with Bella out of my head. What was I eighty? I felt like I was acting older than I actually was. I'd always been somewhat mature, more mature than the few friends I'd had in high school. But I had never given much though to my future. I guess when you know something's going to happen you just can't wait.

I washed my face in the sink of the bathroom and quickly dried it with a towel. I dropped it on the floor and quickly used the facilities before washing my hands and leaving the bathroom. I walked back into the room and saw my beautiful goddess sprawled out on the king-sized bed, mouth slightly agape. I could hear her gentle breathing from the bathroom door and just watched her with amazement. She hadn't even had it in her to get her shoes off.

As my heartbeat became irregular from watching her I made up my mind. I wanted to propose to her. I wanted her forever. But I needed an opinion from someone; the one person who knew Bella almost better than she did. I cursed inside my head as I realized who I would need to talk to. I wanted to do this; I had made up my mind. But she would be able to give me advice. I had no clue what I was doing, and I didn't want to mess it up. It needed to be perfect.

Alice would be my guide.

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**A/N:** There it is! Love it? Hate it? Let me know.

And don't laugh...but my first concert ever was Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. So embarrassing! Haha. But they were cool when I was younger I suppose.

Also, the other day I had Chinese for dinner and the fortune I got out of the cookie is the one that Bella had. I read it and was like....? My mom had laughed at me. Fortune cookies are so strange!

**Anyways, review : ) make me happy.**

**Reviews are better than stale bags of Doritos!**


	27. Humming a Gentle Melody

**A/N: **Woot, chapter 27! Okay, this one's not as long as the others, I just needed to cut it off somewhere though.

I need to tell you guys a little story first.

Okay, so last chapter I told you about the creepy-assed cookies, yes? Well Bella's fortune was the one I got. I didn't think much of it, because I'm still really young, and people I know are the same age (relatively).

Well imagine my surprise when my boyfriend's dad proposed to his girlfriend a few days ago?

I stand by what I said in the last chapter: CREEPY COOKIES.

I know half the time they're not true or something stupid...but yes. I thought my fortune was creepy.

Anyways, enough of my rambling, here's your next chapter : )

Hope you all enjoy!

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E.P.O.V

I sat in the middle of my room cross-legged, staring at my open, half-full suitcase. I most likely looked as if I was a hundred years away, like I had for the past day and a half. I couldn't stop thinking about what I had so stupidly decided. It was a ridiculous idea. Just because her mother had given me a ring didn't mean I needed to give it to her now? This was the twenty-first century. What would people think? Hell, not just people, our family? Charlie? I gulped. That would so not go over well. I suppose I hadn't put much thought into everything. Not even everything..._anything. _I hadn't given anything but my feelings a thought.

What would Alice say if I even tried to talk to her about something like that? What about Jasper? Carlisle? Esme? Emmett? Rose?

I hadn't given _anything _a thought. My decision had been based on a god damn cookie. A fucking cookie! Most of the fortunes that come out of those things are bullshit anyways. They're usually things like 'there will be wealth in your future' or 'good things will come your way'. Shit like that. In reality my fortune could mean anything. Why the hell was I reading so much into a small piece of paper stuck in between the folds of a bloody cookie? I didn't even want to tell Bella's best friend...why on earth would I actually go through with it?

I shook my head as I had been having the same utterly moronic internal struggle since the morning after the concert. I hadn't seen Bella since I dropped her off, which was something I was a little grateful for. I needed time right now to clear my head...think things over. I had no clue what I was thinking right now. Like I had wondered before...am I an eighty year old trapped in an eighteen year old body? Why did I want everything to move in fast forward? It was insane of me to want to speed up time. I should just focus on living in the 'here and now' and wait to cross that bridge when I came to it. I would have all the time in the world to plan my life with Bella...when we were older.

Or maybe...

Maybe I was looking to present her with too big a gesture. I mean getting engaged, while an obvious show of love is a little much. Maybe I needed something smaller. As if sensing a need to be there, Carlisle knocked on the door and entered.

"Hey dad," I said, still in a daze from thinking about the same thing for the past thirty-six hours.

"Hey son, uh, can we talk in my office for a minute?" He asked, looking a little hesitant. I stood up off the floor, noting his awkward demeanour.

"Yeah...you okay?" I asked, following him out of the room.

"Yes. But your mother will be back soon. I want to do this before she's home," he said, entering the office. He closed the door when I was in and I found Emmett sitting on the couch that was in there. I went and sat next to Emmett, completely clueless as to what he was talking about. Carlisle took a seat behind his desk and was greeted with a stack of papers, organized neatly into file folders.

"Alright. So we're agreed now that your mother isn't to know anything about me helping you, right Emmett?" Carlisle asked, eyeing Emmett. He nodded his head at our father.

"I know she'd kill you," Emmett replied, honestly looking fearful for Carlisle's life.

"Can I ask what in the hell we're even talking about?" I asked, shaking my head. Emmett half-turned to me.

"Dad's helping us out with houses," Emmett replied, facing Carlisle again. I darted my eyes to Carlisle's, trying not to grin. How god damn perfect was this? Carlisle sure had good timing. The stupid fortune was right. I was trying to look for something to take a chance on...why, I had no idea. But the truth was that I was already doing that. Getting a house with all my friends who didn't even know it yet – that was me taking a chance. Granted I knew that they would agree to it, it was still a chance I was going to take.

"Really?" I asked in an eager voice.

"Yes. But you breathe a word of this to your mother Edward, she'll most likely never speak to me again," Carlisle said with a grin. Both Emmett and I laughed, loving how family-oriented our mother was.

"Cross my heart," I said drawing a small 'x' over where my heart was. The past day and a half floated away, leaving no doubt in my mind what it is I wanted to do. What I really wanted at this point in my life was to finish my first year of college. I wanted to spend the summer with Bella and our friends. I wanted to live with her next year, with Alice and Jasper as roommates. I wanted to do all these things, and leave it at that. I didn't want to think about the future, where it was all heading. I wasn't anymore than an eighteen year-old kid making my way through college.

"Well here," Carlisle said, standing up from his desk. He handed each Emmett and I a few folders, all colour-coded. I opened the cover to a blue one and examined the picture of the house that was on the inside. It was a five bedroom house, two and a half bathrooms, located just about ten minutes away from the school. It seemed like a fairly good sized house, perfect for the four of us. If we did get this one however, we may need another roommate to fill the other room and help to pay for the rent.

"This one seems nice," I heard Emmett say. He would most likely be looking at something like townhouses as he and Rose didn't need as much space.

I looked at the other two folders Carlisle had given me, and decided I would just take them all and show them to Alice and Jasper. I wasn't going to make this decision without them. I wanted to include Bella, but wanted it to be a surprise. Maybe once I got the okay with them and showed them our options I would tell Bella. I wanted her opinion in which house she wanted to live in too.

"Thanks for this dad," I said after a good ten minutes of looking over each house in-depth. I stood up and clutched the folders in one hand.

"I'm happy to help. Just two things," he said holding up two fingers.

"Let me guess the first one...don't tell mom," I said with a grin. He nodded.

"The second: just let me know when you know which one you want. Take your time, there's no rush. Those are all houses that will be up for rent when the semester ends. So you have until then to make your decision," he said to me, unhitching himself from the desk's edge he had been perched on. I nodded.

"Alright. I think I can manage that," I said, turning towards the door.

I went back to my room in better spirits, no longer confused at anything. I knew what I was doing now; I was living my life. I set the folders carefully in my bag, making sure I hid them from the views of a mere passerby. I wouldn't want Esme to accidentally stumble in here and find them sitting on top of my bag. After they were buried under several shirts and sweaters I left the room, and went down the stairs. I passed the living room and went down the hall to pass by the kitchen as well. I opened the door to the music room and flicked on the light. I was instantly greeted with the large open space inhabited with some couches, chairs, and the grand piano placed directly in the center.

I walked over to the piano bench and sat down, like I had so many times before. I lifted the lid that cloaked the keys and traced my fingers over the black and white rectangles, trying to figure out how to end the tune I had composed. It was extremely difficult to try to put all of my feelings for one person into a song, and it was driving me mad that I couldn't figure out how to finish it. I decided to just play it again and try out different endings. I started the melody, low and soft, my fingers working over the keys like I had played this a hundred times before. While in reality I had only played it once, subconsciously my mind had been working on it for months. I hadn't even really realized that I had been thinking about playing until I came home for Christmas. When I found myself in this room again I became conscious of the fact that I actually wanted to play; something I hadn't done in a very long time.

When I changed the melody in the middle from the low, gentle tune, I concentrated a hundred times more. This is the part that was important, crucial. It was the climax of the song and the most intimate. Of course the entire song was a personal tribute to the girl I loved, but the middle just invoked so much emotion from me that I had to get it perfect. When I played the part without flaw I slowed the melody down once more, trying to figure out what combination of sounds would wrap up the song perfectly. I shook my head and continued to play, getting frustrated that I couldn't get this right. After I had played the only part I had composed I quickly withdrew my fingers, and rubbed my temples with them. I couldn't get the ending right.

I started humming the tune to myself with closed eyes, hoping that I could somehow find it in me to compose the perfect ending for this song. Maybe there was no perfect ending? Maybe I couldn't find an ending because I didn't want it to end? I shook my head; there has to be an ending. I placed my fingers blindly on the keys again; knowing where middle C was like it was instinct. I started the tune once more, my face crumpling in concentration. My fingers glided across the keys as my eyes stayed closed, trying to find the perfect melody for the end. When I came to the end after playing the emotional part perfectly, I again couldn't do it. My eyes flew open and my fingers left the keys, making fists on top of each of my thighs.

"Honey," I heard Esme say. I jumped at the sound of her voice. I hadn't even heard her enter.

"Mom..." I said, taking in a deep breath. She was crying. Esme always cried when I played. She slowly walked over to me, her heels clicking across the marble floor with every step she took. She sat down on the bench next to me and rested her head on my shoulder. I grinned and wrapped an arm around her, rubbing my hand up and down her soft sweater.

"You are so wonderful at the piano Edward," she said to me, using her index finger to tap one of the keys.

"Thanks ma," I said, resting my head on top of hers. "You always cry," I added with a laugh.

"I know," she said with a watery chuckle. "Because I know it's emotional. It's something from your heart. It's personal and meaningful...you still can't get the ending can you?" She looked up to me then, her watered down green eyes staring back at me. I shook my head in disappointment.

"I can't." I said with a hint of frustration in my voice. "I just...don't know how to end it. It's very frustrating." I shook my head again, conveying to her how hard this was for me.

"Don't worry too much about it sweetheart," she said, scratching her fingers across my unshaven face. "When it's ready to be finished you'll figure it out." A smile spread over her face as she lowered her hand to her lap.

"I guess," I said with a shrug of my shoulders. I grinned back at her and turned to the keys once again.

"Would you play me something?" Esme asked, shifting away from me a bit to give me space. I glanced sideways at her and nodded, readying my fingers on the ivory. My fingers began playing a gentle, romantic tune. I had created this one a few years ago, when I played often. I had played it for Esme, along with some others, and I had found a perfect name for it. This one was crowned as 'Esme's Favourite'.

"Oh...my favourite," Esme said softly. I saw her place her hands over her chest as she swayed gently back and forth next to me. I couldn't help but smile as I kept playing. She loved this one that I had composed; it had always been her favourite.

After I had played a few songs at the request of Esme, I went back up to my room and sat down on the floor again. This time I wasn't off in space, a million miles away. I was here, in my room, putting clothes in my bag so I could leave tomorrow morning for school. I was all of a sudden excited to go back. During the past few days I hadn't really had much time to get excited about it, but now I was. I finished packing my bag, thinking about all the time to myself I would have with Bella. As I thought about Bella I remembered that I hadn't really talked to her today. I stood up and fished around in my jeans for my phone. My hands came up empty. Shit.

I scoured my room, lifting everything up in search of my phone. Where the hell had I put it? I retraced my steps the entire day. I got up. I went down and had breakfast. I called Bella from my house phone and said good morning. Why had I used the house phone again? I have no clue, but the entire morning I don't recall having my phone. Isn't that just the least helpful thing in the world? I sat down on the edge of my bed deep in thought. Where the hell was it? I got up to go downstairs in search of it when Emmett came strolling in the room, my phone to his ear, talking to someone on the other end.

"Okay, I found him...here he is," Emmett said, handing me the phone. I looked at him confusedly and took it from him.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Where the hell have you been?" Bella yelled. Emmett ditched the room immediately, most likely able to hear Bella's frantic voice through the phone.

"I'm sorry, I misplaced my phone," I said apologetically.

"Well shit, Edward. I was wondering what the hell happened to you," she said, still upset.

"Love, I'm sorry. I just remembered now and I was looking for it. I'm sorry." I heard her sigh into the phone.

"It's okay. I was worried," she said, her voice relaxing. "I called you about twelve times." She laughed a little when she said this. I laughed too.

"Sorry. I don't even know where I put it. Emmett came in with it in his hands," I told her with a head shake.

"Don't ever do that again," she said with command. I nodded even though she couldn't see me.

"Promise," I replied with a grin on my face.

Bella and I talked after that for about an hour. I realized after not talking to her all day that I missed her. I wouldn't see her until the morning when I picked her up; all I had for now was her voice. I wanted to talk to her forever. Listening to her melodic laugh was making me smile, and listening to her voice change when she talked of things she was passionate about made my heart swell. Lying on my bed, still on the phone with Bella, I glanced to my clock. It was nearly six.

"And then Seth and Leah started fighting," Bella said with a laugh. She had been talking about how living with the Clearwater's has been so far. Seth and Leah apparently got into it over a video game – which is something I could totally see.

"Really? It's just a game," I said, running my fingers through my hair. "I'm sure Seth could kick Leah's ass in a game any day though." Bella laughed again.

"Exactly, which is why Leah went to go pound him," Bella said. "He beat her in some racing game and he was bragging. They're so funny." I smiled. I could tell she was happy that she had people around her that were close to her age. She had told me that it had sometimes been lonely there with just her and Charlie, no matter how well they got along.

"Well I'm glad they're entertaining you," I said amusedly. She laughed again.

"Edward!" I heard Esme call to me from downstairs.

"Hang on a sec okay love?" I heard Bella say okay before I responded. "Yeah mom?" I yelled back.

"Dinner!" She yelled. I groaned and put my mouth back to the receiver.

"Hey," I said, not wanting to get off the phone.

"Dinner?" She asked.

"Yeah," I grumbled into the phone. "I miss you."

"I miss you too," she replied glumly. "Just think...you can see me in like twelve hours." I smiled at the tone in her voice.

"I'll be counting down the minutes," I replied with a laugh. "I'll call you later?"

"Promise you'll answer if I call first?" She asked me. I could practically see the smirk on her face.

"I swear," I said. "I love you."

"I love you too, bye." I hung up the phone and set it down on my bedside table. I swung my legs off the side of the bed and headed out the door.

"Edward Anthony!" I heard Esme yell. Shit. She never used my middle name.

"I'm coming mom!" I yelled, taking the steps two at a time now. I heard her heels clicking away across the floor and I followed behind her into the kitchen.

Dinner was fairly uneventful, except for the fact that Esme was ruthless in trying to get Emmett to stay home rather than move out. I knew she would be like this. Despite her pleading Emmett was insistent that he move out. Of course dad and I agreed, but would never dare tell her when she was trying to convince Emmett otherwise. After the dinner was done we cleaned up and ate dessert. Esme was going all out tonight because it was the last night before we had to leave in the morning. She was sending Emmett on the worst guilt trip of his life and went as far as to say that this would be her last family dinner with her boys. I had given that statement an eye roll, while Emmett I'm sure was cursing himself on the inside.

"Shit...she's never going to forgive me is she?" Emmett asked, coming into the living room. I was flicking through the channels, spread out comfortably on the couch, waiting with my phone in my hand in case Bella called.

"Not anytime soon at least," I told him, changing the channel again. He sat down next to me and growled. This Christmas break was not one of Emmett's finest. He hadn't seen Rose at all, and Esme had been harping on him since New Year's.

"I didn't think she'd get this upset. I thought at least she'd understand," he said sadly. I sat up and turned to him.

"Em, you're her only son," I told him, earning a confused look.

"Edward, man...what are you talking about? You're her son too?"

"Not by blood I'm not," I replied with a shrug. "Emmett it'd be hard on any mother. She just doesn't want you to go. Dad gets it. He knows its part of growing up. Mom knows it too...she just doesn't want to see you leave." He scratched the back of his neck with his hand and nodded.

"I know. I just...thought she'd take it better." I wanted to laugh.

"Really? Telling mom you want to move out to live with your girlfriend? You thought she'd take it better than she's taking it?" I asked, not able to help but laugh it him. He knew how much Esme loved us being home with them.

"I guess not," he replied. "Smart ass." He lightly punched me on the shoulder where he had punched me months ago. "By the way...you've been alright since the party right?"

"God yeah. I've barely drank anything actually. I think champagne on New Year's is the most I've had since," I replied with a wave of my hand. I hadn't even touched a drop of anything out of fear. I didn't need to. As far as I was concerned from now on I only needed alcohol when celebrating.

"Good. Glad to hear I won't need to give you that black eye," he said with a playful wink. I nudged him in the shoulder. "Oh, and tomorrow I think I'm going to follow you guys. Doing that drive alone is boring."

"Well one of us can go with you? So you don't have to drive the whole thing too," I said, thinking that maybe Jasper could go with him. Well actually...if Jasper went with Emmett I'm sure Alice would go too.

"That'd actually be good. It's tiring driving the whole way yourself," he replied, stretching his arms behind his head. "What time you planning on heading out in the morning?"

"Uh, about five-thirty. I'm heading to Bella's to get her. Then I was going to go to Alice's to get her and Jazz. But if you want you can call him to see if they'd rather go with you. Bella and I can make the drive no problem." He nodded, gave me a thumbs up and yawned. It was almost ten thirty, and we needed to be up with the birds.

"Alright man. I'll leave with you then. I'll call Jazz now. Night bro," he said, presenting me with a fist. I grinned and bumped it with mine, watching as he got up and left the room. I turned off the T.V when he left and made my way upstairs. When I got to my room I zipped up the bag that was still sitting in the middle of the floor and put it next to the door. I performed my nightly ritual of washing my face and brushing my teeth before stripping down to my boxers and turning off the light. I slipped into the bed, revelling in the cold it provided. I fumbled around for my phone on the nightstand and picked it up to call Bella. She answered on the third ring, sounding groggy.

"Did I wake you?" I nearly whispered into the phone. I heard her clear her throat.

"Yeah. I fell asleep," she said. I could picture her right now. All snuggled in her bed, looking flustered. Her cheeks pink from telling me she fell asleep, wearing her white tank top and her Dartmouth sweats, looking absolutely irresistible. I almost went into a daze, thinking about what she was wearing, when she snapped me out of it. "Hello?"

"Sorry," I said, shaking my head.

"Do you forgive me?" She asked cutely.

"I forgive you," I replied with a smirk. "So...what are you wearing?" I asked, sounding like a complete pervert. I couldn't get indecent thoughts of her out of my head.

"Edward!" She said, feigning shock. She laughed afterwards. "Well if you must know," she began her voice low and silky. God...I knew that tone in her voice. "I'm not wearing anything." Fuck. The girl knew how to get to me. If spontaneous combustion were possible, my body would be up in flames.

"Bella," I whined. She giggled an adorable giggle.

"You asked what I was wearing," she said, her voice still low and unbearably seductive. "So Edward." Her tone was making the skin melt off my bones. "What are you wearing?" I grinned even though she couldn't see me.

"I coincidentally seem to be wearing what you're wearing," I told her, trying to achieve the same tone she had been using with me. I heard her breath catch in her throat as she groaned into the phone.

"Did you wake me up just to torment me?" She asked. Was her voice going to stay that low for the entire conversation? If it was...I wouldn't be able to handle it. I shifted around in the bed and felt the constraint against my boxers, telling me I was rather enjoying our conversation that was quickly turning erotic.

"Not entirely," I replied with a laugh. "I called to say goodnight." I heard her sigh into the phone.

"I have a feeling it's not going to be a good night," she replied, sounding sad. I shifted around, trying to tame the painful throbbing under the sheets. She was right. I was going to be graced with the presence of my god damn erection for the rest of the night thanks to her.

"Why do you say that?" I asked, wanting to know her reasoning. My fingers itched at the thought of relieving myself, but I resisted. I hadn't pleasured myself since Bella and I started having sex, and I knew nothing would compare to that. No amount of masturbation would satisfy me enough, even if it was nearly unbearable right now.

"Because now I want to see you," she whined, her voice making my whole body twitch.

"I know," I groaned back. "The morning can't come fast enough." I heard her yawn.

"I agree. But when the morning gets here I'm going to want to punch someone," she said with anger in her voice. Neither of us were all for the mornings. We hated mornings, and lately we'd gotten next to no time to sleep in.

"Let me know when you're about to go on your punching spree so I can hide," I joked. A small laugh echoed through the phone, making me smile. I couldn't help but grin when she laughed like that. It was so carefree and pure.

"I'd never hit you Edward," she said, pausing awkwardly. "Intentionally at least," she added. She was most likely remembering when she had hit me in her sleep. I had been slapped awake...a new one for me. It was a confusing way to wake up, but no doubt one of the best because I had been with her.

"I know Bella. I was just kidding. Hit Emmett, he can take it," I said with a chuckle. A vision of Bella smacking Emmett filled my mind, making me laugh like an idiot. "Which reminds me," I added after my laughter subsided. "Em kind of didn't want to do the drive alone again, so he asked if one of us could go with him. I told him to ask Jazz. I realized that Alice would most likely go with Jasper. So...it's just going to be me and you on the way back."

"Just the two of us, huh?" She asked, her voice returning to sexy and low. My erection had been fading, but it came to full attention at the tone of her voice.

"Yes," I managed to croak out. "I...is there a problem with that?" My heart began hammering in my chest. She was making me nervous for some strange reason.

"There is most definitely no problem with that," she replied. "Actually it's quite the opposite of a problem." I heard her yawn again. "But I think I need to go to bed if I'm going to have enough energy for tomorrow." Her tone was suggestive of needing energy for something unrelated to driving a car.

"Energy?" I asked, my breathing nearly catching in my throat.

"Yeah, you know. For the drive," she replied, sounding too innocent. _Bella Swan, you will be the death of me. _

"Yes, the drive," I agreed, a grin tugging on my lips. "I'll be at your house at a little after six, okay?"

"Alright, I'll be ready and waiting," Bella said, making heat flood to my stomach. She knew there was a blatant double-meaning to her words. She fucking knew she was slowly wearing me down. "Call me when you get here," she added after, not letting me add anything in response to her rather obvious sexual innuendo. I groaned into the phone, knowing she'd be able to hear it.

"I will," I nearly growled. "Sweet dreams."

"You too. Love you," she cooed.

"Goodnight, I love you," I replied. She said goodnight to me and I hung up the phone, whipping it across the bed before turning my face into my pillow. I bit onto the fabric, wanting to tear it open with my teeth. Being alone with Bella in a car for all of tomorrow suddenly didn't seem to hold all the glory it had a few minutes ago. She would look ravishing, like always, and I would want to take her in the car, over and over.

The reality of this trip was simple: we were horribly pressed for time. We wouldn't be spending the night in a hotel – any night. We would constantly be on the road, only stopping for food and gas. We only had three days to get back to school, get everything reorganized in our rooms, and prepare for the second semester. We literally had no time to stop. I wasn't looking forward to it, especially now that I had Bella to tease me...the whole way there.

**B.P.O.V**

I don't even remember walking down the stairs. I was in the living room, eyes closed, perched on the arm on the couch. My head kept doing that nodding thing, where you want to fall asleep, but are prevented from doing so because you're in a position where you really shouldn't fall asleep. I was in that horrible position. I couldn't even recall getting my bag down the stairs, let alone what I was wearing. I had been confused when I woke up, having another stupid dream. It was the same as always, vodka, sweat, and confusion. They were beginning to really irritate me now.

I don't know how long I'd been sitting here, trying not to fall asleep. To me it seemed like hours but most likely was only minutes. I was waiting for Edward to come pick me up. I had told him to call me when he was here, and my phone was waiting eagerly in my hand for when it began vibrating. I was beginning to wonder if he had already called and I hadn't felt it because I was too busy trying not to succumb to the drowsiness I was feeling. I think it was a little after six...but I honestly wasn't sure. I had set my alarm for five thirty, the time Edward was probably leaving his house. I didn't know how he was driving right now, at this hour. It was insanity, ridiculous. He hated the morning just as much as I did.

I felt my stomach roll around and wondered briefly if he was alright. I was sure that it was after six, and he still hadn't called me. I knew he hated the mornings, and was most likely tired too. I also knew that it was probably doing _something _outside, whether it be snow or rain. What if he had gotten into an accident? Driven himself off the road? My eyes forced themselves open to the small pool of light that was pouring in through the window. I made myself get up off the arm of the couch; my concern for Edward was greater than anything else at this point. I hit a button on the side of my phone and glanced down to the time. It was almost twenty after six.

I started picking at my fingernails, fighting the urge to close my eyes again. I wanted to call him, to make sure he was alright. But answering his cell phone if he was still driving would make it more dangerous. I walked over to the window and pulled the curtains back, my eyes searching for a sign of life in the faint light. I could see that it was snowing...or raining. I couldn't tell which. It honestly looked like it was freezing rain, or something to that effect.

I kept nervously picking at the sides of my nails, resting my forehead against the cool glass of the window. It felt good on my forehead, making my need to sleep quickly disappear. I felt more alert, and my eyes no longer felt the need to instinctively close. I looked up from my feet which my eyes had temporarily wandered to, and saw with relief that there were headlights in the distance. My breathing calmed and my fingers stopped twitching. A minute later the Volvo appeared in the driveway, coming to a sudden halt.

Edward's form pushed the door open and stepped out. His hair, from what I could see in the dim light, was more dishevelled than usual. He was wearing his winter jacket and a pair of jeans. He ran his fingers through his long hair, and pulled out his phone. I should have been getting ready to leave while I knew he was coming, but I just stood there watching him. Like the idiot I was. I shook my head and left the window, answering my phone when it started to vibrate.

"About time," I said into the phone.

"Fuck...I'm really sorry," he said, sounding almost out of breath. "Front door open?"

"Yeah," I said, grabbing my bag from beside the couch. I heard the faint creaking of the door opening and I hung up the phone. I turned around in the dark and saw Edward shutting the door behind him, his boots thudding against the floor as he walked over to me.

"Sorry I'm late," he whispered, stopping in front of me. I could see his face cast in shadows because of the small amount of light coming from the window, making his features appear more defined.

"What took you so long?" I pouted. I left my bag sitting upright and took a step closer, wrapping my arms around his waist. He was cold and wet from being outside, but it felt nice against my body. I felt his arms constrict around my neck as he planted a soft kiss on the top of my head.

"Sorry. I had to take Emmett to Alice's first. Stupid dick forgot to get directions. He doesn't know his way around Forks at all," he whispered back, sighing into my hair. I pulled away and looked up to him, an amused expression coming across my face.

"Emmett's a dork. It's not like Forks is that big?" I replied, letting a small laugh escape my lips. Edward grinned at me and bent his head down, taking my lips with his. I relaxed into him, my arms suddenly feeling like putty as they held on tightly to his waist. His lips moved against mine in gentle caresses that were beginning to make me feel a little lightheaded. This whole 'not seeing Edward for days' thing was really starting to wear me down. Every time I saw him again after not being with him for a few days was like a sudden burst of raw emotion. It was rather ridiculous.

I heard him whimper quietly into my mouth as his tongue found mine, effectively causing me to bring my fingers to the zipper of his jacket. I unzipped it slowly, my fingers numb from how cold his jacket was. I pushed it open and stuck my hands inside it, immediately feeling the warmth his body provided. It was a hundred times better than the cold the jacket had given me. I pressed my body closer to his, feeling his hands gliding down my back, only to come to a rest on my ass. I heard him moan torturously as he squeezed gently, making me smile against his lips. I had worn my yoga pants. I had completely forgotten.

"You're killing me..." He whispered breathlessly against my lips. I grinned, trailing my hands up his chest. I slid them into his hair and scratched at the base of his neck, coaxing too many noises from the back of Edward's throat.

"Then maybe we should go. I'd like to keep you around for a while," I said with humour apparent in my voice. I heard a low, seductive chuckle that made the skin on my forearms swell with the goose bumps that were forming. He didn't always just _look _irresistible; he had to _sound _irresistible too.

"A while eh? How long would that be, do you suppose?" He brushed his nose affectionately against mine, his hands still firmly grasping the fabric of my pants. I kissed him lightly on the lips again before grinning.

"Forever...remember?" I said, moving my hand to the front of his face. I swept the hair out of his eyes and pushed it back, hoping it would stay out of the way while I was looking at him. He gave me his sexy, crooked grin, making all the thoughts in my head fly right out.

"Oh, right," he said, still grinning crookedly. Yeah right. Like he forgot that I was indebted to him for the rest of eternity to pay off my million dollar bet. Hell, like I cared. I would be with him for that long without a stupid bet anyways.

"But we really should go," I said sadly. "We should already be at Alice's." Edward grumbled and held me tighter.

"I've already been to Alice's once," he whined. God...was he trying to make us even more late than we already were?

"I know...and we need to be there, now," I said, trying to free myself from his grasp. Naturally he wouldn't let me go. "Edward...come on." I looked him straight in the eyes, those gorgeous green eyes. I hated that we had to leave with every fibre of my being. But we needed to go. We were pushing it with this trip. We had stayed a day too late and because of it we needed to rush.

I heard him growl as he released me, taking his heated electricity with him. I wanted to growl too, but I kept it in, knowing we would most likely end up on the couch if I did so. He took the handle of my bag and hoisted it up, raising his eyebrows at me as he did this.

"Pack your life in here or what?" He said with a laugh, towing my bag to the door. I just shrugged and followed him, slipping on my boots and coat that were in the hall closet. We stepped outside, and the chilly, early morning air of January instantly began nipping at my entire face. I locked the door and stuffed the key in my pocket before turning around to find Edward waiting for me. He took my hand in his and led me to the car, throwing my bag in the backseat before escorting me to the other side. I always thought it was ridiculous how much he thought I couldn't walk in a straight line, but it gave me giddy butterflies nonetheless.

I slid into the warm car, snuggling into my cold jacket to find some sort of comfortable middle-ground. Edward got into the driver's seat a few seconds later and shrugged out of his jacket, throwing it into the back seat. We started heading to Alice's, talking a little about the drive and how much we hated that we wouldn't be able to stop for sleep. This trip was going to be horrid, absolutely brutal. We _could _stop if we really wanted to, but when we got back to school we would have no time to get things ready for the next semester.

My mood was cranky as we pulled into Alice's driveway. I could see the Jeep sitting there idly, waiting for the Volvo to show up. I went to go open the door and get out but my phone began to ring. I glanced down quizzically at the caller ID, wondering who the hell was calling me. It was Alice.

"I'm right behind you," I answered with. I heard Alice laugh a tiny bit.

"I know...but I'm not getting out of the car to see you because I'm too comfortable. I just wanted to tell you guys to follow us, and we'll stop in a few hours for breakfast okay?" I shook my head amusedly.

"Alright Al, go to sleep," I joked. I heard her laugh a little.

"Will do, you go to sleep too. See you in the morning!" I laughed and closed the phone, looking over to Edward. He was ready, finger on the seat belt release button, to go outside too.

"Alice said she's too comfortable to get out of the car. So we're following them, and stopping in a few hours for breakfast," I told him, hugging my sides. I was really comfortable too now, closing my eyes as the heat blew across my face.

"Oh...okay," he said with a shrug. He took his finger off the button and returned his hands to the steering wheel, backing up far enough so Emmett could get out in front of him. I listened to the gentle hum of the engine as Edward followed Emmett. We were on the highway in minutes, speeding through the dark towards New Hampshire. Edward turned on the radio after a few miles and was listening to some soft rock that I didn't know the name of. We weren't talking very much, just enjoying the music and silence.

After a while my head began to nod every so often, forcing my eyes to open when my head snapped back up. I was feeling drowsy again, but I wanted to stay awake to keep him company. It was early in the morning and I knew he most likely wanted me to talk to him to keep him awake too. I rested my head against the back of the seat, feeling all too comfortable. I tried to keep my eyes open, but they were protesting to my wishes. So I let myself go; finally succumbing to the sleep I had wanted since I got up. I was nearing the brink of unconsciousness when I jolted myself back awake. It's just like when you feel yourself falling and scare yourself awake when you finally hit.

"Love, just go to sleep," Edward said to me, still cruising behind the Jeep. I whined and sunk back into the seat, almost sweating. I peeled off my jacket and put it in the back, trying to get comfortable again.

"I'm trying, but...I want to stay awake," I said, closing my eyes. No matter how much I wanted to sleep physically, my mind wasn't taking it.

"Why?" He asked, glancing over to me.

"Because I feel bad that you have to drive at this hour. It's not fair for me to sleep," I said, forcing my eyes opened. I stared at the time on the dash, loathing that it was six fifty-three with a passion.

"Bella don't be stupid. Go to sleep. I'll be fine I promise," he said assuredly.

"Are you sure? Because I mean I can stay awake, it's really not that big of a –"

"Bella stop," Edward said, abruptly cutting me off. "Quit rambling, go to sleep." His tone was commanding, and I frowned. Not at the fact that he was being harsh, but about the fact that he was right. I was tired and rambling and most likely being stubborn. No...not most likely...I _was _being stubborn. "There's a pillow in the back," Edward added with a sigh. "Sorry...I didn't mean to be rude, just...this trip is going to suck." I leant over and patted my hand on his leg.

"I know. Let's just try not to fight...I'm sorry I'm being stubborn. I'll go to sleep," I said. I turned around and looked into the back in search of the pillow. I found it next to my coat. I pulled it over the seat and leant it up against the window. "Night," I mumbled, moaning quietly as my head hit the pillow.

"Sweet dreams," Edward's velvety voice said. With that he began to hum to me; a quiet familiar tune. It was the one he had played for me, or rather the one I had been inspiration for. I smiled as my eyes glued shut, waiting for the sleep to overcome me. The highs and lows of Edward's humming were scarily similar to the notes he played on the piano. As I found myself enjoying the melodic humming Edward was providing, my body relaxed. I let go of my need to stay awake. I was drowning in the heat, and the beautiful sounds coming from Edward's mouth. The last thing I remember before falling asleep was the gentle humming of the song. It was different though – a part I never heard him play.

**

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**A/N:** There it is! Let me know how you like it? Or don't like it :P

I don't have much else to say, except I will not be having that many more chapters. I know I said that before. But now I'm really only thinking that there will be two or three more (max) plus an epilogue.

I love this story, and love that you all like it. But it has to end sometime!

Thanks so much for the reviews so far. Much appreciated!

**Reviews help Edward find the perfect ending to his song : )**


	28. Surprises

**A/N: **So sorry this took longer than usual. I just didn't have the time to write it all down. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with this chapter but just got a few days off now. So I had to write it, or forever drive myself insane with it rolling around in my head.

So here it is...

And after a few questions about a sequel (which I hadn't previously thought of) I considered it. I decided that I WILL do a sequel to Last First Kiss...but not until Forgive Me, Please (my other fanfic) is done. Also, since I'm doing a sequel this story will no longer have an epilogue...just another few chapters.

So after this is done keep this story under favourite stories or something, and I will post an update on the end of this story to let you know when I post the sequel. It might not be until the middle of summer, but I'll be sure to let everyone know.

Okay, I know, I know...I'm rambling. I do it all the time.

Enjoy! (Psst...Lemons...)

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B.P.O.V

"I don't know," I said, picking at a flap of plastic on the menu of the diner we were at. "I'm not really hungry." I clutched at my stomach with my hand, wishing with everything I had that I didn't have a uterus right now. I _hated _being a woman at this time of the month. Why did we have to get cramps every month of our damn lives? What the hell do men have...pain-wise? Nothing.

"Bella eat _something,_" Edward said to me, his arm resting on the back of my chair. I started rubbing my hand on my stomach and shrugged.

"We won't be stopping again for a while," Alice added, taking a sip of her apple juice. I darted my eyes to her from across the table, where she was sitting with Jasper. I guess if we weren't stopping I should eat something, but the sounds of eating right now were not at all appealing; the idea was actually making me want to vomit.

"Alright," I said, glancing down to the menu. "I'll just get toast or something." I could feel Edward staring at me, scrutinizing my choice of breakfast food. "Honestly, I'm not hungry." I turned my tired face up to him – he was concerned. I wasn't sure why he was making it such a big deal that I wasn't eating. I just wasn't hungry. He nodded and leant down to kiss my temple, returning to his own menu afterwards.

"Al, do you have Advil?" I asked her, feeling Edward's hand starting to gently rub up and down my upper back. He probably saw that I didn't look at all well, and wasn't sure what the hell was wrong with me.

"I might in the car," she said. "Want me to go check for you?" I nodded, getting more than uncomfortable with the pain throbbing in my lower abdomen. Alice got up to leave with Emmett's keys in hand and Edward pulled my chair closer, letting my head rest easily on his shoulder.

"Don't feel too good Bells?" Emmett asked from beside Edward. I angled my head towards Emmett and shook my head, frowning at how god damn horrible my monthly cramps were. What the hell had I done? I had to have pissed someone off pretty bad though...that much was clearly obvious.

"What is it? Your stomach?" Edward asked, laying his head on mine.

"Yeah," I said with a sigh. "You know...cramps."

"That really sucks," he grumbled, holding me a little tighter. _No shit..._

"Tell me about it." I wasn't thrilled that it was 'that time of the month' – at all. I was never exactly peachy when it hit, but right now I was a walking time bomb because of the fact that it decided to come _now. _It was torture really. I hadn't had sex in two god damn weeks – two weeks! Now because of my oh so welcome monthly visitor I was put off of sex for another fucking week. This made Bella angry, angry. Almost a full month of no sex with Edward...how much worse could it get?

"Here, I found something better," Alice said, returning only minutes after she had left. I opened my hand and in dropped two of the best pills in the world – Midol. Bless Alice Brandon and her female intuition.

"I have mine too," she said with a sad smirk, skipping back over to her spot beside Jasper. I gave her a small smile because we always seemed to get ours around the same time of the month. _That's _how much time we spent together. Despite the discomfort and pain though, Alice still moved with a certain grace that I seemed unable to obtain. I had long since accepted the fact that I carried about the same amount of grace as a drunk, bumbling hillbilly.

"I love you," I said to Alice, popping the two small pills into my mouth. She smiled and picked up Jasper's hand that was rested on the table. I looked down to my place setting after putting the pills in my mouth and wondered how in the hell I had gotten myself an orange juice. I know for a fact that I hadn't ordered anything. "This mine?" I half mumbled to Edward. He turned his head from Emmett – who he had been talking to – and nodded.

"Yeah. I ordered it when the waitress came," Edward said, like I should know all this. I was most likely less than coherent when we walked in here because I had just woken up.

"Thanks," I said, blushing a little at my stupidity. I picked up the glass when Edward started to laugh and took the straw in my mouth. I downed the two pills and relaxed back into my seat, waiting eagerly for the effects to hit me.

After a minute our waitress returned to the table. She was wearing her long brown hair in a pony tail, draped over her shoulder so it fell down to her chest. She was sporting a tight red button down with the name 'Tucker's' embroidered across her left breast, and a nametag reading 'Kate' directly underneath. Her jeans were much too tight as well, making me question what in the hell kind of uniforms these were. It was a diner for Christ's sake?

"So, have you decided yet?" Kate asked, directing her question at the guys. She was standing at the corner of the table in between Edward and Emmett, a pen and a small notebook in hand, waiting to take our order. I peeled my head off Edward's shoulder and watched Kate as she was continually shifting her intent gaze from Edward, then to Emmett, then to Jasper, and back again. I scowled at her because she was gawking at Edward the most. _Bitch. _

Emmett ordered first, something that was ridiculously large and most likely meant for three normal people to eat. Jasper and Alice both got some pancakes and bacon. I ordered my toast, watching as the waitress kept smiling at Edward as I was ordering. She was really starting to piss me off. Edward ordered last, just getting some eggs, toast, and bacon. Kate took all of our menus, grazing the hand of Edward much to my annoyance as she took them from his hands.

"I'll be back in a bit with your orders," she said with a smile, _directly to Edward. _God...he's taken thank-you very much.

"She should have taken a damn picture," I mumbled, glancing across the table to Alice who was smirking at my comment. Edward wrapped one arm around my shoulder and squeezed it tight, pulling me close to him. I knew he didn't care what other girls thought of him, but it bugged the shit out of me that other people gawked at him so obviously.

"What can I say?" Emmett said with a grin. "We're studs." I couldn't do anything but crack a smile at him as I shook my head. Always breaks the tension and unease – I love you Emmett.

"Are you jealous?" Edward asked with amusement in his voice, kissing the top of my head. I felt my skin heat up at the spot he had kissed, making my blood boil.

"Yes," I breathed. "She was practically drooling over you." Edward laughed.

"Well how do you think I feel about people doing that to you?" I looked up to him and furrowed my brows.

"Guys don't drool over me, Edward," I said with a chuckle. It was absolutely preposterous. People didn't gawk at me like they gawked at Edward. I got stares not for my looks, but for my clumsiness. People only looked at me to laugh at me when I was falling face first into something, whether it be a pile of dirt or the back of a car.

"You are so blind," he replied, shaking his head. "I mean...did you not _see _those two guys near the window when we came in?" He turned and pointed to the entrance – to a now vacant table. "Well they aren't there now. But when we came in they were eyeing you like you were their damn breakfast." He clenched his jaw, most likely in anger at such a thing happening. I hadn't even known what the place was called let alone what was going on around me when I had walked in.

"And don't even get me started on that waiter," Jasper said with a sarcastic smirk. "I'm sure both you and Al have holes burned into your skulls from how many times he's looked over here." I furrowed my brows again and looked to my right, to where Jasper had tilted his head. Sure enough there was a waiter staring right at me, the one I assumed he had been talking about. When he noticed I had looked he panicked and turned around, nearly bumping into our waitress as he fled like a coward into the kitchen. I had to laugh, what a tool.

"Oh..." I said quietly, turning back to Edward.

"Yeah. So if you think you're jealous..." Edward said with an amused smile.

"But Edward you don't need to be," I said, resting my head on his shoulder. Why should he need to be jealous? I was only for him, he knew that. I knew that about him but couldn't help it when my anger got the better of me. He wasn't something to be gawked at – although at first glance that's all you want to do.

"Neither do you," he retorted confidently, kissing my temple again. I smiled and looked across the table to Alice.

"It's not my fault people stare!" I heard Alice say, laughter ringing with her words.

"That's right," Jasper said with an eye roll. "You're just too damn cute for your own good." He grinned and pulled Alice into his side, kissing her on the cheek when she was close enough.

"Will you stop being all lovey-dovey and crap," Emmett said, resting his head on his hands that were propped up on his elbows. "I'm hurting over here. Where's Rose when I need her?" I frowned at Emmett, saddened at the fact that he had spent the _entirety _of the Christmas break without his girlfriend. He was a trooper; that was for sure. I don't know what I would have done had Edward not lived in Washington.

"Most likely doing what were doing," Edward said, taking a sip of his own orange juice. "Heading back."

"Yeah...she is," Emmett said, staring down at the table. He was most likely thinking about her, where she was, and what she was doing. If I know Emmett, he would probably be thinking about what she's wearing too. It would be typical Emmett.

We sat for the next ten minutes, just talking quietly to each other. I was, like before, more than sleepy, and sat comfortably with my head nestled on Edward's shoulder until our food showed up. I still felt sick to my stomach when the waitress rather forcefully shoved the plate in front of me, but felt my stomach roll with hunger at the sight of food.

I nibbled on the toast for a bit, taking it slow to make sure I wasn't about to be sick all over the diner's table. I was holding my own pretty well, and the pain was also beginning to subside from the Midol, so I ate the toast happily. By the time I was finished with my small plate of toast everyone else was finishing up with their meals as well – even Emmett. Although I knew he ate at record speed, it still astounded me that he had _all _that food gone by the time everyone else had theirs done. It was amazing how much he consumed in one sitting but still maintained a graceful disposition. You would think someone eating at that rate would look like a horse shovelling food into their mouths. Well, not Emmett.

"Can I interest anyone in coffee? Tea?" The waitress said to us. She had been by about six times asking if we needed anything, always standing much too close to Edward for my liking. Couldn't she just lay off?

"A tea would be great thanks," Alice said, looking up to Kate. She didn't respond, just looked eagerly to the guys.

"Anything for you?" Edward said to me, bringing his hand up to sweep my hair out of my face. He brushed his fingers along my neck, igniting my skin and colouring my cheeks.

"Tea for me as well," I said to Kate. Man was she being a bitch to Alice and me. She wasn't saying a word to us.

"Anything else then?" Kate asked. Edward was still looking at me, his fingers resting on the base of my neck. He rolled his eyes at me and winked, turning back to the waitress.

"Coffee thanks," Edward said, removing his hand from my neck and taking up my hand instead.

"Sure thing," Kate said with a smile. "I'll be right back."

Alice and I get glares and death stares...Edward gets a sickeningly devious smile and a 'sure thing'. Could she have made it any more obvious that she was hitting on my boyfriend? Didn't she get the hint?

"God she's desperate to get your attention," I mumbled to Edward when she left.

"Tell me about it," Alice hissed from across the table. "She looked like she wanted to shoot me when I ordered a fucking tea." I giggle at my little trucker – I hadn't seen her in a while.

"I know, same here," I said with a head shake.

"Oh you two hush," Jasper said, pulling on Alice's shoulder. She was bent over the table, trying to get closer to me so she didn't have to yell. She sunk back into her seat and rolled her eyes at me.

"She was eyeing you too there sunshine," Alice said, fingering a few strands of her jet black hair.

"S-T-U-D-S," Emmett spelled out. I laughed at him with the rest of our table. God love him.

"Yes I suppose you are studs," I said to the guys, still laughing. "It's just annoying having to be ignored by the waitress so she can gawk at the three of you."

The waitress naturally didn't take too long with the coffee and tea, most likely eager to get back to the table with the 'hot guys' sitting at it. When she returned she was carrying a tray with the drinks and fixings, smiling brightly as she set it down next to Edward. She took both teas off and set them down in front of Alice and me, not saying a word as she did so. She then went back to her tray and took the coffee off, leaning over in front of Edward to put it on his place mat. Her little stunt shoved her chest right in his face, making my cheeks red with anger when she pulled away.

"Just let me know if you'll be needing anything else," Kate said, turning to walk away.

Edward half-turned in his seat and called over his shoulder, "The check would be great thanks."

Kate turned back around and stared at him again, like she had been doing the entire time. She nodded at him and smiled, and made to walk away. I grumbled angrily and incoherently to myself, putting sugar and milk in my tea. I took up a spoon that was on the table and began to stir the drink, spilling a little over the edge of the cup in my angry motions. I threw the spoon down on the table and watched as the hot liquid spun clockwise, round and round, until it nearly made me dizzy.

"Love, are you okay?" Edward asked. I glanced over to him, watching as he put milk and sugar in his coffee.

"Just dandy," I replied sarcastically, taking a sip of my tea. It was still scorching, despite the three small milks I put in it. I bit the end of my tongue, hoping the blazing heat would go away.

"Bella," Edward said to me in a stern voice, shifting in his seat. "Stop being like this." I turned towards him and bit my lip, nodding reluctantly.

"I can't help it," I said quietly. "I just don't like that people look at you like that." He grinned, making my tired face break out into a smile too. He was so pretty.

"The feeling is mutual," Edward replied, bending his head to meet mine. He pressed his warm, soft lips on my lips, almost making me forget what we were talking about. He pulled away much too soon, making me frown at the fact that we were in a diner right now.

I drank my tea quietly, being extra careful not to burn my tongue again. The check came and Edward of course insisted on paying it, like he did with most other things. The only person who really cared about him paying for us was me, and I was the only person that wasn't allowed to say anything; lest I violate the rules of the 'resolution'.

"Here's your receipt," the waitress said, handing Edward a folded piece of paper. Edward took it and thanked her, opening up the receipt as she walked away. He put it on the table and took up the pen that she had left. He noticed there was more than one piece of paper and slid the other one from underneath the receipt, staring down at it.

"Uh..." Edward said, picking it up. He flipped it over and looked at it a few times.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sucking on a mint as I sat lazily in my chair. I tilted my head in his direction as he looked at me, a weird expression coming across his face.

"She...gave me her number?" Edward said, almost like it was a question.

"What?" I nearly yelled. I heard Jasper and Emmett booming with laughter while Edward had some nervous smile on his face.

"I have no clue?" He said, shaking his head. He put it down on the table and signed the receipt, standing up once he was done. "Let's get the fuck out of here." I stood too, so much anger at the waitress coursing through my body I thought I would lunge at her if I saw her.

"Good god," Alice whispered in my ear, taking up my arm as we walked out of the diner. I could hear the guys talking behind us, Emmett and Jasper still in stitches that the waitress had been so bloody desperate.

"I know...right? I mean what the fuck?" I said to her with anger. She laughed her adorable high-pitched 'Alice laugh' and continued to skip next to me as we headed to the cars.

"Apparently she didn't notice that he had a girlfriend," Alice said humorously.

"I suppose not," I said with a head shake.

When we got to the cars Alice and I parted, getting into the Jeep and Volvo respectively. Edward was still driving, insisting that he do so until we stopped next. We still had a good six hours until we were most likely stopping for anything but gas, so I nestled into the warm seat, listening to the iPod Edward had plugged in. My mood had brightened significantly as we were driving along, carelessly listening to music and enjoying the sun while it was there.

"Oh...my god," I said with a chuckle. "I can't believe you have this on your iPod!" I couldn't control my laughter as Edward followed the Jeep, starting to laugh with me.

"Hey...leave me alone. I actually like this song."

"I have to call Alice," I said with a laugh, pulling out my phone. Edward started to sing when the music began, knowing all the words of course.

"Hello?" Alice said into the phone.

"Al! Our song!" I said, cranking the volume. She squealed.

"BA DE YAH! Say do you remember," Alice shouted. I laughed and started dancing in my seat to the song. "Hell yeah that's our song."

"I know. I wanted to call to say hi. Later!"

"Bye love," she said. I hung up the phone and put it in the cup holder.

"I see you're in a better mood," Edward said with a smile.

"Sorry I was moody earlier," I replied sheepishly. "I was tired and felt shitty, and that waitress was bugging me."

"I know," he said, shaking his head. "I can't believe that. She seriously gave me her number." I couldn't help but utter the smallest chuckle. "Are you still tired?" I shrugged.

"A little. I haven't been sleeping the greatest lately." In all honesty, it was because I wasn't sleeping with Edward. The best night's sleep I'd had since I'd been home is when Edward stayed the night. I missed him being there when I went to bed; I missed his soft noises and his warm body. It was depressing going to sleep without him, and it honestly took me longer to fall asleep now because of the fact that he wasn't there.

"Is it because of your nightmares?" Edward asked, concern leaking into his voice.

"Kind of," I said honestly. "They're getting better. I don't even know what to make of them. They've turned from nightmares into weird dreams." I watched Edward's profile as he furrowed his brows, trying to concentrate on the road and the conversation.

"I wonder why you're not sleeping well then," he said with uncertainty.

"Because you're not there," I said knowingly. I saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel before he turned his head and smiled, turning back again a few seconds later.

"I have the same problem," he said cutely. I smiled at myself, loving that he had trouble sleeping without me because it meant that he liked when I was there. "Why don't you sleep a bit more now?" I stretched my arms and legs, feeling all my muscles being pulled against their will. It felt fantastic.

"Mmm, okay," I said with a goofy grin. I could use a few more hours after all the pain and discomfort from the morning. I leant over the seat and grabbed the pillow again; placing it in the same spot I had it before. My head nestled into the soft surface of the pillow, caressing my face with its warmth and comfort. I closed my eyes and listened to the music as we drove: destination New Hampshire.

"Edward?" I said after a good five minutes.

"Bella," Edward replied. I grinned and peeled my eyes opened.

"Can you hum to me again?" I asked, watching as he smiled to the road at my request. He didn't reply, just turned the iPod off and began humming. I closed my eyes once more, letting the soothing melody fill my head. By the time I eventually drifted off I wasn't sure how long Edward had been humming, or how many times he had repeated the same song over and over – just for me.

**E.P.O.V**

I dropped my bags to the floor, feeling every muscle in my body aching in protest. I had been without a bed in days, and felt my skin throbbing in pain, crying out for a soft mattress to come to its poor rescue.

"Home sweet dorm," Bella said from beside me. Jasper and Alice had gone to the other room to drop off Alice's bags, leaving me and Bella alone in my room.

"About time," I grumbled, lifting Bella off her feet. I gripped her by the hips and set her down on my bed, forcing my lips to hers with an urgency so fierce they were burning. Finally...some time _alone. _I felt her arms wrap around my neck instinctively, her fingers curling and twisting around locks of my hair. I pressed my body against hers, listening to her arousing whimpers as she lowered her body to meet the bed. I held myself up with both my hands on either side of her body, each of them twitching like crazy at the thought of touching every single millimetre of her skin.

She parted her lips with mine and I found her tongue, pressing mine forcefully against hers like I had never felt it before. I heard her whimper again and I groaned, needing to satisfy my pent-up desire to touch her. I pulled a hand off the bed and explored her right side, grazing my fingers along her shirt with lust bursting through my fingertips. Just feeling her skin through her shirt was making me sweat because I knew how much better she looked with her clothes off. I almost choked on my breath with thoughts of her naked, and began lifting her shirt.

"Edward," she gasped, pulling her face away.

"What?" I breathed at her. "Bella we haven't been together in so long. I need you." I watched as her breathing turned ragged and her face grew tortured.

"Edward," she whined, rubbing her fingers into my hair. "Did you forget something?" She asked suggestively. I furrowed my brows at her.

"I don't understand." She rolled her eyes.

"I have a slight issue at the moment," she said, casting her eyes downwards. I kicked myself mentally, forgetting completely that it was that awful, horrible time of the month that we both got severely moody.

"Oh fucking hell," I grumbled, rolling off of her. I used the palms of my hands to massage my face, hoping to hell my erection would leave me sometime this century. "I forgot."

"Believe me, I don't like it any more than you do," she said, her tone sour. She rolled onto her side and watched me press my hands into my face.

"When is it done?" I asked, pulling my hands away. I turned my face to hers and she was counting on her fingers.

"Another few days," she said, her face falling at her realization. Fuck..._days _that involved no sex whatsoever. Shoot me, kill me now.

"If I make it until then," I said with an eye roll. I saw the sexy smirk spread across her lips, making me lick mine in desire. "Please stop torturing me." She bit her lip then, almost sending me over the edge.

"I suppose I could ease your pain," she said in a luscious voice, throwing herself on top of me. She found my lips and sucked on the bottom one, taking it completely into her mouth as she trailed her hand down my front. She slipped a hand in my pants and underneath the hem of my boxers, finding my waiting erection with little trouble. She let my lip go and raised her brow, dragging her fingers along my skin, slowly and painfully easing my torture. She pulled her hand out after stroking me a few times, making me growl at her.

"Calm down _love,_" she said to me, stressing the name I always called her. I watched her tongue with care, feeling desperate as she made to undo my pants. I couldn't handle her right now. The way she moved, talked, and acted when she was turned on was entirely too much for me to not rip her clothes off.

As she worked on getting my pants down I massaged my fingers along her back, noting the familiar burn that occurred in my stomach whenever we were intimate. She kissed my chin and bit her lip, sliding down my body and onto the floor, hooking her fingers into my pants and taking them with her. I felt the piercing cold air of the dorm as my erection was freed, causing subtle goose bumps to form on my heated flesh.

Bella sat up on her knees, taking me in and licking her bottom lip with her warm tongue. My eyes were transfixed on her, waiting for her to sate my burning desire. She massaged the insides of each of my knees with her palms, working methodical circles and inching higher with every stroke of my skin. I was twitching, feeling like I was about to convulse from anticipation. She brought her hand up from my thigh and grazed three fingers along my length, making my breath turn ragged much like hers had been.

She looked up to me then, her gaze breaking from the painfully throbbing erection that was staring her in the face. Her eyes were dripping with lust, watching me as mine were filled with an intense combination of lust and anticipation. She wrapped her warm hand around me, stroking her palm up and down as she took in my every shudder and shiver. I bit on the inside of my cheek as she worked her hand, trying to tame the sounds that were coming from my mouth.

It didn't work.

When Bella rested her hand at my base and readied her mouth above my dick I whimpered, gazing into her deep brown eyes with want, need, lust, and love. Her tongue slipped out to moisten her lips just before she plunged my length full into her mouth, using a perfectly gentle suction as she worked her way up and down. I threw my head back, feeling the wall against the crown of my head as Bella's tongue and teeth and lips moved against me, setting a rapidly steady pace for herself.

"Christ..." I moaned, moving my hand blindly to anywhere I could reach. I felt the soft curls of Bella's hair flowing down over my hips, spilling onto the bed as they gently moved with each bob of her head. I trained my eyes on the ceiling in hopes of increasing my stamina. Watching her red swollen lips moving up and down my length, all slick and moist from her saliva, would most likely make me cum faster.

Of course thinking about that vision wasn't helping matters either.

I decided it didn't matter how long I lasted, I wanted my release so bad it was nearly killing me.

I leant up on my elbows, watching with agonized pleasure when Bella looked impossibly better than I imagined as her red, wet lips glided up and down my dripping length. She was still gripping the base tenderly, rubbing her fingers as her head continued to move. Her eyes met mine as she lifted them from her hand, gazing at me through her long, dark lashes. I moaned again, still aimlessly fingering her curls as I felt myself getting close to the brink. I knew it wouldn't take long, but couldn't find a cell in my body that was protesting to feeling the moment when I finally came.

So I let go.

I fisted one hand into Bella's hair and one hand into my own, bracing myself for a long awaited moment. I hunched my eyebrows, feeling the heat in my stomach growing increasingly more intense as Bella's curls kept gently flowing around my hand with each movement up and down of her head. Soon I began to rub circles in her hair with my fingers, telling her I was close. I always warned her for what was coming, and like always, she persisted even faster. I groaned, feeling my abdomen muscles constricting as I came into her mouth.

She sucked harder momentarily, swallowing the liquid down her throat before releasing me to the cold air once again. I closed my eyes, dropping both my hands from the hair they had tangled into, and fell limp. My muscles were still aching, but the tender throbbing that had been burning between my thighs was now gone. All I felt was satisfaction and a shit load of gratitude towards my girlfriend as she tapped my hips to pull up my pants. I lifted them, not sure as to how I was even moving right now.

Bella re-fastened my jeans and the familiar electricity she always emitted when she was around me disappeared, making me frown. I slowly angled my head, opening my eyes to find her kneeling on the floor, hands on her thighs, watching me. She was moving her hands up and down her jeans, like she was trying to relieve some itch that just wouldn't go away.

"You okay?" I asked, forcing myself into a sitting position. I somehow managed to slide off the bed as well and sat in front of her, stilling her hands in the middle of her thighs. I heard her emit a low, guttural hiss as my one hand dipped in between her legs.

"No," she croaked out. "Do you have any idea how...oh god, how badly I want you right now?" Her lips were red and pouty, and still moist from what she had done mere moments ago. I watched as her tongue darted out and pulled her bottom lip into her mouth. I couldn't help myself as I slid my hand further between her legs and fisted my hand into her hair once again. I pulled her face to mine and crashed my lips to hers, feeling the warmth they were emitting like wildfire.

Our tongues met as I forced my palm to her crotch, making her spread her thighs wider to give me more space. I wasn't sure I'd be able to make her cum through her jeans, but I sure as hell was going to try. I started to press my palm into her, feeling as she was pushing back into my hand, wanting more friction. I wanted to just rip the jeans off and touch her warm, dripping skin, but I couldn't.

"It...won't work," Bella said to me, trying to pull away from the kiss. I pulled her face closer with my hand and pressed into her tongue again, making her nearly whimper.

"Why not?" I asked, taking a minute to breathe.

"Alice," Bella said, pointing to her pocket. She leant back and pulled out the vibrating phone. I still persevered with my palm, hoping that by some miracle she was so high strung she could cum like this.

"Hey Al...uh yeah," she said with a laugh. "It's safe to come in." Bella hung up the phone and put her hand to mine, ceasing all movement. "They're coming here."

"Of course they are," I said with a forced smile. "I tell you. One of these days that cock-blocking best friend of yours is going to get it." Bella smiled and leant up to kiss me.

"What are you complaining for, you already got yours," she replied with a coy smile.

"Oh I'm not complaining," I replied, nuzzling her nose with mine. "It just always seems to be a habit with Alice."

When I said this she and Jasper came in, and Jasper set his bag on the floor before dropping onto his bed, groaning in pleasure at the feeling of an actual mattress.

"Never has a bed felt so good," Jazz said with longing apparent in his voice. Alice sat down beside him and smiled too, putting her head down on Jazz's chest.

"I could so go for a nap right now," Alice said with a yawn. Bella and I just sat on the floor, faces entirely too close for me not to kiss her again. I kissed her nose, watching as she scrunched it up with a little giggle. She got off her knees and sat square on her butt, most likely still throbbing between her legs in the desire I knew she was craving.

"Me too," Bella replied, sending her sweet breath across my face. Was she trying to kill me? I kissed her again, sitting on my ass as well and pulling her into my lap. I rested my back against my bed, stroking Bella's hair lazily as she let her face fall against my heaving chest. Although it was just nearing eleven in the morning, I was more tired than I had ever been in my life. I could sleep for days if I had the time to.

"Bells what time you have class in the morning?" Alice asked after a few minutes of silence. I was still stroking Bella's hair, listening to her soft breathing in and out. It sort of sounded like she was asleep. When she didn't respond I grinned, knowing that she was for a fact asleep.

"Al I think she's out," I replied. Alice lifted her head from Jazz's chest and smiled down at Bella.

"Yeah she is," Alice said with a laugh. I watched as Alice put her head back down and closed her eyes.

"Actually can I talk to you about something?" I asked Alice. I wanted to talk to her when Bella wasn't conscious and while she still was.

"Bout what?" She asked me.

"Jazz awake still?"

"Yeah I'm awake." I heard him say.

"Okay Alice go into my bag and get out the three folders in the bottom." Alice furrowed her small brows. "Just do it, you'll see."

Alice pulled herself off Jasper and went over to my bag like I had instructed. She pulled down the zipper and rummaged for a few minutes around clothes and other whatnot's before finding the mentioned folders. I saw her pull them out and zip up the bag before going back over to Jasper.

"Alright, I wanted to talk to you two about it first, I kind of wanted to surprise Bella but want her opinion too. So which one do you want?" I asked. Jasper sat up now, the same confused expression plastered on both their faces. Alice threw open the cover to the first folder, relaxing her brows once she realized what I was talking about.

"Oh my god Edward!" Alice screeched. "You mean for next year?" I shot her a wide-eyed look, if she was too loud she would wake Bella.

"Yes for next year," I said in a hushed tone. "Look at them and let me know which one you like."

I sat for the next ten minutes, running my fingers through Bella's hair. It felt like silk between them, having the same consistency and shine. Her deep, sweet breaths were making my eyelids heavy, causing them to droop every so often as Alice and Jasper looked over our options. I could hear them discussing the different houses, which ones they liked or didn't like. From what I could tell in my diminishing coherency was that they liked the one in the blue folder, the one with the extra bedroom. It was the one I had liked too.

"Edward?" Alice said to me, tapping on my shoulder. My eyes shot open – I had fallen asleep. I blinked a couple of times, feeling a little confused, but not so much that I didn't know where I was.

"Yeah," I said, rubbing my eye with the palm of my hand. Bella was still sound asleep against my chest, making me wonder how long I had been out. "How long was I asleep?"

"Uh, ten minutes maybe," Alice said with a shrug. "We like the house in the blue folder." She was smiling brightly, eyes glinting with something that was bordering on excitement.

"Awesome," I said with a yawn. "That's the one I liked too."

"But we might need another roommate huh?" Jasper asked. I looked away from Alice to find him still perched on his bed, holding all the folders I had put in my bag.

"Most likely," I said, not knowing who in the hell we could possibly ask. We could just rent the room to some random person and hope to god they weren't a psycho serial killer.

"Hmm," Alice said, sitting on her ass to the left of me. "Alright, we'll think about it and let you know if we come up with anything. Tell Bella soon, she doesn't like to be left out of things Edward." Alice's tone was pointed, and I knew she was making reference to when I had monumentally fucked up and lied to her.

"I know Alice...I will. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Believe me, she'll be surprised."

**B.P.O.V**

Edward pulled into the driveway of a massive house, Victorian style, wrap-around porch and gorgeous antique porch swing hanging on the left side. He said he had something to show me, something important. I looked up to the house, questioning what in the hell this was all about. Today was Wednesday, the third day of our new semester. I had been more than happy that my damn period had finally left me this morning, but had no alone time with Edward since then because of classes and this surprise trip to this random house.

I was confused as all hell.

"So what are we doing here again?" I asked him as he killed the engine.

"Well I kind of have a surprise," he said with a coy smile. "It's uh...something I've been planning with my dad for a while." I turned in my seat and cocked my head to the side, giving him a funny look.

"Your dad?" I asked. I really had no clue what the hell this was all about, but it had something to do with Carlisle.

"Yeah. Okay so...before Christmas he asked me about next year, and our...living situation." He fully turned to me and took up my hand, planting a soft kiss on the back of it. "Bella will you live with me next year?" I felt my cheeks burning ridiculously at him against my will. He smirked and leant in to me, kissing one of my cheeks.

"You really want to live with me?" I asked him stupidly. He pulled back a bit and shook his head, his voice ringing with laughter.

"Of course I want to live with you," he said so matter-of-factly. "Alice and Jasper are living with us too." I felt all of my insides flipping and twisting at the thought of living with all of them next year.

"Oh my god," I said with a great big smile. "And..." I looked away from him and up to the looming, gigantic house. Did he expect us to live in this? "Is that...?"

"This is the one we all liked the best. I wanted to surprise you with everything, but realized I wanted your opinion too. I wanted to know which house you liked the best. This one was our favourite, so I found the address and decided to show it to you to see if you liked it too." I examined the outside of the house, already knowing that I liked the way it looked. I had thought it was beautiful from the moment we pulled into the driveway.

"We can't see the inside huh?" I asked with sadness.

"Unfortunately not. But I have pictures back at school of the inside, I just wanted to surprise you and show you," he said to me with a warm smile. I turned back to him and kissed his marble-smooth lips before settling into my seat.

"Alright then, let's go back and look at them."

---

"Oh...so there's five rooms," I said, flipping through the pages of the blue file folder Edward had placed in my hands.

"Yeah...that's the only problem with this one. There's an extra room that we need to fill. Alice and Jazz have been trying to think of someone to ask...and we've found someone, just not someone we're so sure we want to live with for an entire year." I looked beside me, to where he was sitting with me on my bed and creased my forehead, mashing my brows together.

"Who?" I asked quizzically.

"Jess," Edward replied. I bit my lip hard, realizing the confliction that living with her might bring. She was a nice person and I really didn't mind her that much, but I handled Jessica in moderation. Living with her might possibly drive me to go insane, but we needed someone else to fill our spare room.

"Oh...well I mean she wouldn't be so bad? We don't have anyone else. Emmett and Rose are getting their own place," I said to him, fingering the pages absently.

"I know, but do you really want to live with her for an entire year?" Edward asked. I contemplated his question, realizing he was trying to convince me not to ask her because he felt awkward around her due to what happened between them the day they met.

"It wouldn't be so bad," I said to him, nudging his shoulder with mine. "Don't worry about it being weird. Just try to be friends with her, the tension will go away eventually." Edward sighed and nodded, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"I know. It's just strange. We've barely talked since the day we met."

"Well considering she tried to make a move on you and you completely blew her off, I'd say it's a pretty awkward situation Edward." I felt his body shaking with laughter next to me as he pulled me closer, hugging me to his side.

"It's because I found something I had been searching for all my life. Something I didn't even know I wanted until I had found it. You were too captivating to stay away from Bella; I had to see you that night. It was killing me every second I was away from you." I nuzzled my head against his ribs, smiling like a fool at his memory of the day we met. "I still don't know how I found you," he nearly whispered. I pulled my head off his chest and brought a hand to his hair, threading my fingers into the messy, bronze crop of hair I had once dreamed of running my fingers through.

"I was looking for you too," I replied quietly. His eyes darkened, smouldering and burning into mine with a passionate intensity so strong it almost hurt to look at him.

I refused to break his gaze.

I leant up to his face, stroking my bottom lip with my tongue as my eyes shifted back and forth between green eyes and soft, pink lips. My heartbeat became irregular in my chest, quickening my pulse and causing my breath to come more frequently than normal.

I ghosted my lips across his, feeling the smooth surface as I heard his breath doing the same as mine. His sharp exhale as I gripped his bottom lip in my teeth sent a warm gust of air across my face, causing my body to erupt in a noticeable shudder.

"Is it done?" Edward asked in a sexy whisper. I swallowed audibly, only able to find it in myself to nod at him. I heard his breathing falter momentarily, like it had caught right in the middle of his throat.

His hand lifted from the bed and caressed the right side of my face, heating my skin and boiling the blood that was rushing underneath my cheek. His lips pressed to mine gently, making my eyes flutter closed in the intoxicating delight his lips always brought with it.

"And Alice?" Edward whispered, hot air and sweet breath hitting my face as he spoke. I gathered my coherency, trying desperately to sound together.

"Class," I replied quietly.

"How long," he demanded. I curled my fingers around the hair my hand was still in and turned to my desk.

"Half an hour." The words left my lips and Edward's were to my throat, sucking, kissing and nipping at every exposed sliver of skin. I tilted my head further, revealing even more skin for him to explore. My fingers were continually opening and closing around pieces of hair, tangling so deep I could feel his skull.

Edward's lips created a burning trail down to my collarbone, making sure they didn't miss a single spot as they glided further and further down my neck. I instinctively pulled myself closer, forcing his lips to press deeper into my throat as he licked. His slow, sensual movements were wearing me down, making me wet; they caused me to moan, much louder than I had anticipated. I felt him smirk into my skin at what his mere lips had caused me to do, and I pulled lightly on his hair, eliciting a gentle groan from his busy lips.

My fingers left his hair on a mission. They trailed down his neck and across his shoulders, nearly shaking with anticipation as they moved down his perfectly toned arms. I stealthily slipped a few shaky fingers underneath the hem of his shirt, failing in my stealth due to the electricity my touch always brought with me. I heard him moan at the skin to skin contact, making my entire hand disappear underneath the fabric of his T-shirt.

"Bella," Edward moaned from my neck. I lulled my head down, feeling as though it might break if I kept it angled that way much longer.

"Yes?" I replied, surprised that my voice had been around to let me respond. He pulled his head from my neck and I watched him, melting into a puddle as his eyes burned into mine.

"I want you...so badly," he replied in a throaty voice, pecking my lips lightly afterwards. I slipped my other hand under his shirt and hastily tugged it up and over his head, discarding it god knows where as I threw myself at him, attacking his chest with my lips.

Clothes flew off after that.

I wasn't sure I could undress someone else so fast, but I did. Edward's clothes were strewn across the floor...and my desk, in record time. Mine had somehow been shed as well, also lying haphazardly somewhere about the room.

His lips crashed to mine again as my back hit the bed, feeling his hot, naked body against mine as we both fell to the sheets. My fingernails were stroking his back eagerly, gripping his skin with need and want. He brought his left hand to my chest, squeezing my breast in his hand as he moaned into my mouth.

I didn't hesitate before pulling my legs from underneath him and wrapping my right one around his waist, pressing our bodies together in my fervent impatience. He groaned again and shoved his hips against mine, increasing our bodily contact and causing his hard dick to be nestled in between my thighs. I whimpered at the closeness, knowing the wetness I was emitting was surely transferring onto him as he rested there.

He being so close and not being inside of me was killing me, making me yearn for it to just happen already. I removed a hand from his back and dropped it in between our bodies, taking his erection in my hand and placing it where it most definitely _needed _to be. He made an assortment of sounds at the contact, fingering my nipple fiercely, causing me to moan at him.

"Bella," Edward whispered, moving his hand from my breast down to my hip. He trailed his fingers along my raised leg, resting his entire hand on the middle of my thigh as his eyes bored into mine – longing evident in his gaze. "I...love you," he said, piercing me with the head of his dick. I moaned at the sensation, biting on my bottom lip to muffle the sounds I actually wanted to make.

"I love you...too," I said, moaning again as he slid further into me, filling me completely. We both emitted satisfied sighs as he was finally fully inside of me, for the first time in what seemed like ever.

After that was hazy.

I was so high with euphoria and enjoying Edward's frequent thrusting and grunting that my head was spinning. I kept trying to put off my orgasms, failing horribly as I came three times in the span of twenty minutes. The third one had been the best, mainly because we had both cum together.

Edward's body relaxed onto mine, most likely feeling exactly as I did – like putty. Our breathing was rapid and uneven, making it hard for me to keep up with the amount of air my lungs needed to consume for my survival. I could feel pieces of my hair sticking to my skin as Edward's chest heaved with mine, also feeling his sweaty body as he tried to peel himself off of me.

"So," Edward's sexy voice asked, his eyes finding mine in my lust-induced haze. "How many was that?" His eyes were glinting as he smugly grinned at me. I stroked a few fingers through his hair, not caring that he was being smug – he had right to be.

"Mmm, three," I replied, almost moaning at the remembrance and the feeling of his hair between my fingers. I felt Edward kiss my chin, then my throat, then my collarbone.

"Damn..." He said, kissing the peak of my left breast. "I'm good." His kisses continued, getting lower and lower each time. "Would you like another?" As he asked he swirled his tongue around my clit, making my hips jerk up into his mouth at the intense sensitivity of that area.

"Oh god," I said, noting the throbbing in between my thighs as Edward continued to pleasure me with his tongue. "I don't think...I'll be able to walk later." He slid two fingers inside of me, pumping them in and out as his tongue gently danced along my sensitive skin. It took all of about a minute and a half before I was shaking, moaning and almost screaming because it felt so good.

"Fuck," I mumbled, closing my legs instinctively around Edward's head. He forced them apart with his hands, pulling himself free of my grasp and licking his lips as he rubbed the insides of my thighs with his hands. I saw the time on the clock shining behind Edward, making my eyes widen. Shit. It was already five; Alice would be back any minute.

I sat up and pushed my messy, erratic hair behind my shoulders, almost panicking as I tried to find all my clothes. They were absolutely _everywhere. _

"How in the hell did that end up there?" I asked Edward, watching as he pulled his boxers off my television. I couldn't help but laugh; how had I managed to throw them there?

"Don't ask me," Edward replied with a smile. "You undressed me remember?" Still naked, I leant up and kissed him, loving our time alone together as his arms constricted around my waist, making my feet leave the floor. "Get dressed sexy." He set me down and swatted my ass, making me yelp as I collected my scattered clothes.

Alice was ten minutes late getting to the room, making me sigh in relief that we were decent when she walked through the door.

"Oh hey," she said, her tone a little dismal. She dropped her bag to the floor and sat down on her bed, shedding her mittens, coat and boots with next to no 'Alice flair'. Something was wrong.

"Al, what's wrong?" I asked, getting off the bed and going over to hers. Edward was still leaning with his back against the wall, watching Alice and I.

"My stupid fucking TA," I heard her mumble as she smoothed out her hair. "He's the same one from last semester, from my Peace Studies class. He _hates _me." She folded her arms across her chest and sighed.

"Well hopefully if you just do everything you're supposed to and don't argue with him this time, maybe he'll give you a decent grade," I said to her, trying to raise her spirits.

"Maybe, I just hate him though," she said with an eye roll. "He's a dick."

"Yeah you've told me," I said with a laugh. I heard my stomach growl and I clutched at it, knowing that eating dinner right this second would be fabulous. "Are you guys hungry?"

"I'm starving," Edward said, sliding to the edge of the bed so his feet touched the floor.

"Yeah I am too," I replied. "Al?"

"Yeah I'm hungry," she said with a smirk. "By the way, nice hair." She slid off the bed and slipped on a pair of flats, leaving me to blush at myself. My hair was unruly. "Seriously Bella, it's called a brush." Alice stood by the door with her key in hand, twirling it around her finger with a grin. Edward came over to me and made me stand; pulling me to the door so I could put my shoes on too.

"A brush doesn't work," I mumbled to Alice. She laughed and threw the door open, locking it before we all started to head down the hall.

"Well I'll have to find something that will work. You could see that hair from a mile away darling." She stopped in the middle of the hall and went behind me, standing most likely on her toes as she combed her fingers through my hair. I felt her pulling and tugging, until she wrapped a hair tie around it and threw it over my shoulder, letting it rest on my chest. "There, at least it's a bit better."

Alice continued to walk in front of Edward and me, going on about my hair as Edward's hand found mine and held it gently. We made it to Commons in minutes, my nostrils flaring at the smell of food. We went to a table first and found Jasper already sitting at the one we always occupied. In Alice's rambling she had told us Jasper was on his way from class too and he was meeting us there.

"Alright," I said to anyone who was listening. "I'm going to get food."

"I'll come with you," Edward said to me, taking up my hand as we walked back to where the food was calling my name. I browsed my options, not sure as to what I wanted to eat. The pasta seemed to be my weakness, making me cave and buy one, along with a few pieces of garlic bread. Edward bought the same, plus a sandwich, and we headed back to the table, arms full of food.

"Bella!" I heard a familiar voice call. I turned around as we neared the condiment cart and found Jessica hurrying over to where Edward and I were standing.

"Hey Jess," I said with a friendly smile. "How was your break?" I hadn't seen Jess since we'd been back because Monday's and Tuesday's were a little hectic for me.

"It was awesome," she said with a grin. "How about yours?"

"It was really good thanks," I replied. "Were going to sit down, come over after?" She smiled and nodded, skipping back in the other direction.

"No," Edward said with a head shake. "That wasn't awkward for me at all." We both sat down at the table, placing all of our food down on the table top.

"Edward it will get better with her eventually, just give it a try."

"So you've told Bella about Jess?" Alice asked.

"Yeah," Edward replied. "She thinks it's a good idea."

"I think it is too," Alice said. "I just hope we can handle living with her if she agrees to it."

"I don't think it will be so bad," I said with a shrug. "At least I hope not." Jasper and Alice laughed at me as I opened my pasta, realizing I forgot to grab a fork. I got up and went over to the condiment cart, picking up a couple of forks and taking them back to the table. I started eating in silence, listening to Alice and Jasper talking about what they wanted to eat. When they got up to leave Jess sat down with her meal, making sure she sat on the other side of me and not the other side of Edward.

"So...can I talk to you about something?" I asked Jess.

"Yeah sure," she said, taking a bite of her salad.

"What are you planning on doing next year?"

"What do you mean? Like what classes?" She asked with furrowed brows.

"No, I mean like are you living in res, or at home?" She swallowed her bite and furrowed her brows even more.

"I haven't really thought about it. Most likely living at home and commuting, but I'm not too sure. Why?" I bit my lip and turned to Edward, watching him as he ate, silently listening to our conversation.

I turned back to Jessica, swallowing audibly at what I was about to ask her. I hoped to god it was a good idea and one that I wouldn't come to regret. I tried to ease the tension I was feeling and took another bite of my pasta before I answered.

"Would you maybe want to live with us next year?"

**

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**A/N:** Hmm...? Thoughts? You know I love to hear them!

The song that is 'Bella and Alice's' is September by Earth Wind and Fire...awesome song, if you haven't heard it...please go listen.

Yeah, not much else to say...

**Reviews are better than toast!**


	29. Brown Eyed Girls

**A/N: **So first of all, I have to say thank you! I got more reviews from my last chapter than any other chapter, it was awesome. I thank you all so much for reviewing : )

It was really encouraging for me, so thanks!

Second...sadly this is the beginning of the end. This is most likely going to be my THIRD LAST chapter. I've basically got it mapped out, and if it goes according to plan (and I don't ramble incessantly) I should only have two more chapters after this one.

Anyways, this chapter is a bit longer for you all, sorry I made you wait. I just found out I needed to pick my courses for school next year and I was kind of overwhelmed as I had no idea. I think I almost gave myself a heart attack.

But anyways, no need to worry, next chapter's up.

Without further ado....ENJOY.

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E.P.O.V

I stuck my fork in the pasta and looked over to Jessica and Bella, hoping to god by some miracle she said no. She was the person I wanted least in the world to be my roommate. Why had Bella thought this was such a genius idea?

"Oh..." Jessica replied, darting her eyes to me quickly and then back to Bella. "You mean you and...?"

"Edward, Alice, and Jasper," Bella replied, taking another bite of pasta. I could see her hand falter slightly as she speared a piece of noodle, and knew she was just as unsure about this as I was. Why the _hell _was she doing this?

"Um," Jessica said, looking down to her meal. _Thank god...she's stuttering. _"I...I don't know. I mean I'd have to ask my parents and see if it's alright with them first." Bella nodded at Jessica and stuck a rather large forkful of pasta in her mouth. I continued to eat as well, and the three of us sat in an awkward silence – the worst awkward silence I had ever been present for. Thankfully Alice and Jasper returned a few minutes later, bringing with them laughs and an actual conversation.

Jessica left a little after she was done eating, much to my relief. She had to say no...she just had to. It would be rude as hell of us to rescind our offer, but I just couldn't live with her for an entire year. Awkward was hardly the word to describe the way I felt around her. It was like I wanted to recoil from her, curl up into a protective shell to block her out completely. If I was being honest, and probably the biggest dick in the world, I didn't really care to have her as a friend. We had nothing in common, she was ditzy as hell, and from what I gathered she was a little slutty. I didn't need shit like that following me around.

"So Jess said she'd talk to her parents?" Alice asked Bella as I drifted off into nothingness, thinking about how horrid of in idea this was. I mean really...post a want-ad in the paper, find someone off the street. I'd gladly welcome a stranger who I could potentially have something in common with rather than Jessica.

"Yeah," Bella said with a shrug, resting her back against her chair as she had just finished eating. She leant in then, dropping her voice to a whisper as she continued. "Alice...do you think it's a good idea. I mean...I know I already asked her, but I almost didn't want to."

"I knew you didn't want to," I said to Bella as I shook my head. "It's a shit idea." Everyone at the table was looking at me. "I'm sorry...I can't help it. I really don't want to live with her."

"She's not so bad Edward," Alice said to me, eating her salad. I rolled my eyes and snorted.

"Well I don't really think she's so great," I said to Alice, watching as she shook her head in my apparent stubbornness.

"I'm not saying she's our best bud, but she's not that bad Edward. I think you're blowing it out of proportion," Alice retorted.

I clenched my jaw tight, knowing that I wasn't going to win this argument against Alice. I had my own _personal _reasons for not liking Jessica; Alice had no awkward silences or random tensions with her like I did.

"Personally," Jasper said after a minute of none of us saying anything. "I think we should find a dude." I looked up and Jazz winked at me, I knew he didn't really like Jess that much either.

"Agreed," I replied with a nod of my head. "Let's just post an ad in the paper, or put one up around school. I'm sure there are tons of people who are bound to be looking for somewhere to live next year. I don't doubt that we'll get a ton of offers."

I watched as Alice rolled her eyes and Bella cleared her throat next to me.

"Edward I already asked her though..." Bella ran her fingers through her hair, knotting a bundle of curls into a fist as she exhaled deeply, her features conflicted.

"Pray she says no," I said to her, putting an arm around her shoulder. "I mean...I'm really not trying to be a jerk, but you understand what I mean...Alice?" I wanted Alice to get this, because out of everyone she was the one who was giving me the hardest time. I knew the toll Jessica took on Bella, and knew that Jazz didn't care either way; he was just trying to help me out. Alice was sort of neutral territory – she was Switzerland.

"Look Edward," Alice said, turning in her seat so she faced me point-blank. "I understand where you, personally, are coming from. I understand that you really don't want to live with her, and you'd prefer some hobo off the streets of New Hampshire. I see what you mean, really I do. While I don't think it's the _greatest_ idea, it's just an idea. You know she could always say no, and plus, you can't just take back the offer now. You may as well just slap her across the face if you did something like that."

"I know Alice..." I said with frustration. "I get that, I know she could always say no. But now that it's out there, what if she does say yes? Then...I don't even know what will happen. She seems like someone who would stir up a lot of shit. I don't want that to ruin this experience for us." Alice's eyes softened on me, turning a few shades lighter than Bella's chocolate brown ones. I just wanted everything about next year to be perfect.

This past year had been hard on Bella – I knew this, she knew this...we all knew this. After so much bad shit happening to her I just wanted her to be happy. I wanted her to be truly happy, and nothing, if I could help it, was going to stand in the way of making her exactly what she deserved to be after having such a year. This whole situation was morphing into something that I knew wouldn't make Bella happy in the end. I knew she would regret it when, or if, Jessica said yes – because I was honestly afraid of what Jessica was capable of.

I mean...what if she tried something with me again?

Not that I'm being cocky, thinking I'm some irresistible, god-given grace. But Jessica had tried it once before, and if she still had some left-over feelings, there's no telling whether or not she would try something again. I knew how girls like her worked – they were relentless. _Cue an image of Tanya ripping Bella's hair from her head_. I refused letting something like that happen to Bella again.

"I..." Alice said, furrowing her tiny, perfectly sculpted eyebrows at me. I know she wanted it to be a memorable experience too, and I think she was now realizing why I was acting the way I was.

"Alice...after everything that happened this past year, I want something good to look forward to. I want to just...I don't know..." I trailed off, trying to explain it to her.

"You want to make everyone happy and have a relaxing year," Jasper finished for me. I felt Bella's hand squeeze my thigh and I shifted my eyes to Jasper, nodding my head as the knowing Southerner was right. "I get it man." Jazz nodded his head at me and pulled Alice closer to him, whispering something in her ear. Damn, he was good. As he shifted his eyes to Bella, Alice following suit, I knew he was telling her that I was doing this for Bella. Jasper was the most intuitive son of a bitch I had ever met in my life, he knew what was always bothering me, and if he didn't it would never take him long to guess.

"Okay..." I heard Alice finally say. She pulled away from Jasper's ear and shifted to where Bella and I were sitting quietly, only Bella's tight grip on my leg telling me she was still there. She was being entirely too calm for everything to be alright with her. "Okay." Alice pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut before snapping them open, staring right at me. "I get it," she said, her eyes widening, telling me she was aware of the intent behind the words I had spoken to her. "I don't know what to do though."

Alice looked to my right, to see Bella sitting there, completely and utterly quiet. I knew something was on her mind; she was acting like a god damn statue.

"Any thoughts Bells?" Alice asked her, using a soft and gentle voice. I watched Alice as her face contorted into something I didn't understand. There go their silent conversations again. "Okay..." Alice trailed off, looking away from Bella. "We'll talk about it later; start thinking of anything that comes to mind."

I nodded at Alice and placed my hand on top of Bella's, turning to her and watching with a wrenching gut as she stared blankly at the table. She was so beat up over this that it wasn't even funny – I had never seen her more conflicted in her life.

"Bella, love," I said to her, grazing a few fingers across her cheek. She angled her head in my direction, barely enough for me to see her move.

"Hmm," she replied quietly.

"Can you talk to me?" I asked her sweetly, now using my fingers to brush her hair behind her shoulder. I watched as she bit at her lip, shrugging her shoulders and looking down to her lap. I needed to get her alone, _make _her talk to me. This whole Silent Bob routine was driving me fucking insane. I hated when she didn't talk to me. "Hey guys, I think we're going to head back. We'll be in mine and Jazz's room," I told Alice and Jasper, pulling Bella up with me and leading her out of Commons.

We were back in Berry in a matter of minutes and I was towing her along to my room, still irked by the silence we were being subjected to. When I got to my door I noticed Rosalie's hand writing scrawled across my white-board, telling me we had a floor meeting tonight. I pulled my keys out and opened the door, ushering Bella inside before closing it and locking it.

"Alright," I said to Bella, throwing my keys on the floor. "What the hell is up with you?" She sat down on my bed and put her face in her hands, a quiet sob breaking through her chest. I went over to her and knelt on the ground, feeling bad as my tone had been a little harsh. "Bella I'm sorry."

She sniffled and I took her hands in mine, peeling them off her wet face. "No..." she said with a weak shake of her head. "I'm sorry. God, I'm so stupid. Why did I ask her in the first place? It's all my fault." I watched with agony as tears spilled down her delicate, rosy cheeks, staining the beautiful skin of her face.

"Bella..." I said with that tone she knew. "This isn't your fault. You just wanted to give her a chance." I started to dry her cheeks with my hand, relief flooding my body when she stopped crying. She still wasn't saying much of anything, just staring at my arms and hands as I wiped her tears away.

"What if she says yes?" Bella nearly whispered.

"We're fucked," I said with a grin. The edges of her mouth began to curl up into a grin but she held it back, wanting to be serious now.

"But if she does...I mean, I don't think I can handle her. I thought I could before, when I asked her. But now that I think about it...I really don't think I could." A tear spilled over her eye again and her mouth gaped. She placed a hand over it and her stomach, forcing mine away.

"Bella?" I asked with concern, watching as her eyes darted rapidly from side to side, focussing on nothing in particular.

"Oh my god," she said, removing her hand, another tear spilling down her cheek. "What if...if, she makes another pass at you?" She clutched her stomach harder, biting her lip as she most likely thought about this happening.

"Bella, honey," I said to her, taking both her hands in mine. I moved my head around and tried to get her gaze to land on mine. When it finally did she furrowed her brows, another few tears dripping down her face. "You know I would never...ever..." I couldn't finish my sentence. It was blasphemy for her to think I would _ever _cheat on her.

"I know," she said, biting her lip again. I felt tears stinging the back of my eyes, and blinked to keep them back. I needed to be strong for her. "It doesn't mean that she wouldn't try." I sighed and nodded, knowing that she was right. "But I trust you."

"Thank you," I said to her, closing my eyes as I kissed the knuckles of her left hand. "I trust you too." Bella freed her right hand from mine and pulled my face up by my chin, bending her head to kiss me on the lips. For the few brief seconds we were kissing, I could taste the salt from Bella's tears in my mouth as they streamed down her face and onto her lips. She pulled away too soon and rested her forehead against mine, her crying subsiding by the looks of it.

"What are we going to do?" She asked, shaking her head a little bit as it was pressed against me. I closed my eyes again and brought my arms around her neck, fisting my hands into her hair and allowing for the soft curls to engulf them in all their strawberry deliciousness.

"Let's just not think about it now. We'll have plenty of time later. How about we relax and watch a movie or something? There's a floor meeting later," I said to her, making sure I was rubbing soothing circles into her hair to calm her down. I heard her moan in agreement as my fingernails touched her scalp and I smirked, kissing her nose and parting her head from mine.

"Can we watch Friends instead of a movie?" She asked cutely, her deep, chocolate brown eyes gleaming now.

"We can watch whatever you want," I said with a smile. My heart thudded against my chest when she smiled that breathtaking smile back at me.

"It's in my room, I'll be right back," she said, kissing me and getting up from the bed. I watched her like an idiot as she left the room, my eyes not leaving the door once she was gone. I shook my head after a minute and got up, lying down on the bed with my arms behind my head as I waited to hear the door open again. It was about five minutes before Bella returned and I was almost about to get worried as the door flew open. She hurried inside and locked it; I could hear her breath as she ran over to me and hopped on the bed.

"Edward!" She said excitedly, a season of Friends and all the file folders for the houses in her hands. "I have an idea."

**B.P.O.V**

"So I'd like to welcome everyone back from their Christmas break," Rosalie said with a smile, standing underneath the large flat-screen as everyone on our floor looked back at her. Edward and I were standing beside the couch, much like we always did, as Jasper and Alice sat down near us, just listening to Rosalie's speech. "I hope you all had a fabulous time. But right now I wanted to get to anything you feel needs addressing. This floor seems to have a pretty good dynamic, and with the exception of a few problems we all seem to be getting along pretty well."

I watched as everyone murmured in agreement, Edward wrapping his arm around my waist and holding me closer. I smiled as I thought about how just four months ago I had been staring across this room, right into his eyes, completely mesmerized by the stranger I had called the beautiful boy.

"I actually have a problem," a boy piped up from the couch opposite the one Alice and Jasper were sitting on. "The outlets in my room aren't working. I've tried them all, and none of them are working."

"Oh, okay," Rosalie said with a nod. "I'll have to call in an electrician to come look at it, because I have no clue when it comes to stuff like that." She smiled her wickedly beautiful smile at the boy, and I watched as he nearly drooled at her. I had to suppress my fit of laughter.

"Anyone else?" Rosalie asked tentatively, knowing that nobody ever opted to say _anything _at these meetings. "Alright then," she said after a minute. "You may leave, I'll post notices within the next week or so of when the next one is. And don't forget, my room number is two sixteen, just in case."

After she was done speaking the people in the room began to disperse. The four of us, plus the boy with the electric problem, were the only ones who remained. Rosalie went over to talk to him, while we just chatted to each other.

"What about Emmett? Have you talked to him since we've been back?" Jasper asked Edward.

"Yeah," Edward said with a laugh. "I have talked to him."

"Where's he now? We should all do something, hang out," Alice said, her tiny frame still nestled into Jasper's side.

"He's a bit tied up at the moment," Edward said, clearly trying to suppress his laugh.

"Who says the big lug didn't ask to be tied up?" Rosalie's voice said. We all turned to look at her as her brows arched, smiling a seductive and devious smile. I couldn't help but laugh.

"I never said he didn't ask for it," Edward replied. Rosalie leant in to hug me as I hadn't seen her since we'd been back.

"Hey Bella, it's good to see you, I missed you all like crazy," Rosalie said to me. "I'm sorry we haven't seen each other." She pulled away and smirked down at me. "I've been a little busy."

I heard Alice laugh, her loud, wind-chime laugh. "And by busy, you mean Emmett's been hogging you?" Alice said, still laughing.

"Pretty much," Rose said with a grin. "He doesn't want to share me. I had to tie him to the bed so he would let me leave." Alice and I laughed, so hard I almost cried. I could picture Emmett, tied to the posts of Rosalie's bed, lying there with nothing to do but wait until she was back. I wasn't picturing him naked, but knew that he most likely was. God Bella...don't even go there. I shook my head to force images of Emmett away and watched as Edward crinkled his nose.

"Aw Rose," Edward said, shaking his head. "I really don't need the visual of my brother tied to your bed, spread eagle and shit." He shivered next to me, most likely trying to shake thoughts of Emmett out of his head as well.

"I'm just telling it like it is," Rose said with a shrug. "But I should probably get back. We'll all do something this week okay? One of you call me, or Emmett."

"Will do," I said with a nod of my head. "Now go untie Emmett before he Hulks it out and rips your bed apart." Rosalie laughed loudly and turned to leave.

"Yeah, like he _wants _to get untied." I watched as her long legs and full hips danced away from us, out the door and back to her room where a ridiculously turned on Emmett awaited her.

"God, I won't sleep for weeks now," Edward said to me, shivering again. "So disturbing." I laughed and snaked my arms around his waist, kissing the side of his body through his shirt. He pulled me closer and placed a kiss on the top of my head.

"So have you thought of anything yet?" Alice asked, standing up and fixing her shirt as Jasper stood with her. I suddenly became extremely giddy as I _had _thought of something.

"Good god, yes," I said with a grin, listening to Alice's girly squeal. "Let's go back to the room though." Alice nodded in agreement and danced off ahead of Edward and me with Jasper's hand in hers. When we were back in the room I went to my desk and grabbed the red folder, tossing it to an oblivious Alice. She fumbled with it for a few seconds before she dropped it.

"Nice catch," I said with a laugh, letting Edward pull me onto my bed.

"Pfft, nice throw," she retorted, picking it up and sitting down on her bed. "I don't get it, Bella." Alice furrowed her brows and looked down to the house. "We all liked the one in the blue folder. This one isn't as pretty and has four bedrooms and only one bathroom!" Alice sounded disgusted as she was describing the house she was looking at. I just sat with Edward, waiting for the realization to hit her. "I mean...the other house is so much better. Really..."

I watched as her small brows furrowed and she tilted her head, looking quizzically down at the folder.

"Wait..." She looked up from the house and cocked an eyebrow. "Okay, either you are a manipulative bitch, or we're actually planning on living in this house."

"Ouch," I said with a tone of mock hurt. "Alice, it's the only thing I could think of. If she says no, perfect, but if not..."

"You're going to tell her we decided on this dingy four-bedroom house instead?" Alice asked, smirking a little. "Well played Bella." She closed the folder and tossed it aside. "Problem solved." I grinned back at Alice, finally relieved that we wouldn't have to live with her. Just the idea of her being around Edward more than she needed to be was starting to make my blood boil.

"Sorry I even thought it was a good idea," I told everyone, frowning at my temporary insanity that had consumed me earlier.

"Bells don't be silly," Jasper said with a wave of his hand.

"Yeah Bella," Alice added. "I thought it wouldn't be so bad either. But Edward's right...I think she would cause problems." I nodded at Alice and relaxed into Edward's side.

"So what should we do, post an ad around the school?" Edward asked.

"Well we'll see what she says first, and if it's no then we can go ahead, if not, it might seem a little strange for us to be putting up ad's for another roommate once we tell her we're getting the smaller house," I said to him. I wasn't looking at Edward, but Alice and Jasper were contemplating what I just said.

"We don't have to put our names on them. Just a description of the house, and one of our cell numbers," Edward said with a shrug. "She'll never know."

"You've really thought of everything haven't you?" I asked, pulling my face away from his side and looking up to him. He smiled at me, those pearly whites shining through his full, smooth lips.

"I'm _that _good," he replied with a wink. "I've been thinking about this for a while." I smiled back and nudged his side with my shoulder.

"Okay, good, now that that's out of the way...you know what I think we should do?" Alice asked with a wicked 'Alice smile'. I raised my eyebrows as I looked at her, as if to say 'what do you think we should do?'

"I think we should take on these two in that Euchre re-match," Alice replied, smiling brilliantly. I started laughing, for no other reason except for the fact that our Euchre games were always intense.

"Oh, you're just asking for an ass-whooping," Jasper said, tickling Alice's side. She giggled and hopped off the bed, going over to my desk and retrieving the cards.

"You up for it?" I asked Edward, cocking my eyebrow to see if he was ready to take on Alice and me. He smirked, all sexy and delicious, before he leant in and whispered.

"Game on."

---

By the time the weekend came around, and our first week of second semester was done, Jasper and Edward had finally stopped harassing us about the 'ass-whooping' they had delivered. Along with this, I hadn't seen Jessica again. Since I had asked her to live with us she had been virtually MIA, which is a little strange for her. Most times she was everywhere – she would always be there when we ate or when we were walking back from class. But since Wednesday I hadn't seen her once, not even a glimpse of her. I thought it was odd behaviour for her, and hoped to god she was having trouble figuring out how to 'let us down easy' – so to speak.

As I walked back from my one class I had on Friday's I curled my coat around me, trying to block out the incessant wind as it hurled in from the coast. I rushed into the student center, making my way through the crowd of people to get to the other side so I could get back to Berry. I felt my nose dripping and my cheeks stinging from the cold as I made my way up the steps to go back outside.

"Bella!" I heard someone call. I swivelled where I stood and nearly fell, needing to grip onto the rail at the top of the stairs to support myself. "Oh god, sorry." It was Jessica. I pulled myself back up and straightened out as Jess hurried up the stairs to help me. "You okay?" I nodded at her, a little dazed because I was still so cold.

"I think I'm good," I replied, my voice muffled from my coat. "What's up? Now that you nearly tried to kill me." I grinned at her, pulling my hood down and raking my fingers through my hair.

"Um, I need to talk to you about next year," she said to me, averting my gaze. I looked at her wearily, not really understanding why she was being so sheepish.

"Okay, sounds good," I said to her in an upbeat voice. But on the inside I was screaming, trying to figure out whether or not her answer was yes, or no. "Want to sit?" She nodded and led me down the stairs, to an empty table against the wall. Jessica sat in one chair while I sat on the bench that hugged the wall, sliding sideways to position my body under the table so I was directly in front of her.

"So..." I prompted, trying to say as little as possible so my voice didn't crack in my anxiousness.

"So I talked to my parents," Jessica said in a small voice. "Okay Bella, I really like all of you guys. You're awesome, and after this I hope you don't think it's because I don't like you." I tilted my head in confusion, but just nodded because I had no clue what she was talking about. "So my parents didn't think it was the best idea."

_Relief. _

That was the only thing I knew right then, when she spoke those words to me.

_Relief. _

It coursed through my body, and I had to desperately hide my smile as she was frowning at the fact that she wouldn't be our roommate.

"That sucks," I replied, my voice helping me as it was still weak from before.

"Yeah, I mean...they told me I could if I wanted to. But then they went into all this stuff about me needing money, and a job, and how difficult it would be for me to do that. And while I do want to live with you guys, I think it would be too much for me. I don't think I'd be able to pay to live there. Commuting would be a lot less expensive." I gave her a warm smile, telling her I understood.

"Jess, don't worry about it," I said with sincerity. "I get it. It would be expensive and since you live so close to home it makes more sense." She smiled a tiny smile back and shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess it does make more sense," she replied. "I just wanted to make sure you know why I can't."

"Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem, and thanks for asking me anyways," she said with a grin, standing up. I stood as well. "I need to get going though. I have class now."

"Okay, well I'll see you later then?" I asked, leaning in to hug her.

"For sure." She pulled out of the hug and waved as she walked away, in the direction that I had come from. I pushed the hair out of my face and finally grinned – all huge and full of relief. I went back over to the stairs and took them two at a time as best my footing would allow me. When I was safely up I put my hood back on as I ran out the doors in the direction of Berry.

I almost tripped an innumerable amount of times on my way back to the building, but as I hadn't fallen, I didn't really care how many times I slipped. I was too happy right now that my sense of rationality was gone, and all I could think about was telling Edward and Alice and Jasper my news. When I reached the building and practically ran up the two flights of stairs, I could barely breathe. I had to stop just before the door to the second story to catch my breath, to make my heart stop beating like it was trying to jump out of my chest.

After I had shaken off my hood and calmed my breathing, I opened the door and focussed on _walking _down the hallway. I stopped in front of Edward's door and knocked three times, hearing a muffled 'come in' from the other side. I swung the door open, finding nobody in the room once I stepped inside.

"Hello?" I asked quizzically.

"Hey," Alice replied, poking her head off the side of Jasper's bed. She was upside down and her hair was falling towards the ground, her face turning red from all the blood that was accumulating there.

"What are you doing?" I asked with a laugh, shedding my coat and boots as I sat in front of her on the floor. I watched as she tried to shrug her shoulders and then she laughed.

"I don't know, I was bored," she replied airily, lifting her eyebrows to keep the blood from rushing directly to her brain.

"Where are Jasper and Edward?" I asked, looking around to make sure they weren't just hiding as well. Nope, they weren't in here, unless they stuffed themselves in their closets.

"They said they were going to the grocery store, and then they were going to get some copies made for the ad Jasper made up." I watched Alice's face with amusement as it became even redder, and she tried even harder to get the blood to stop flowing to her brain. She was so unsuccessful it was making me laugh. I couldn't even focus on our conversation because I was too busy watching her.

"Okay Al, please sit up," I said with a giggle. "All the blood from your body is currently in your face." She managed to sputter out a laugh, but it came out horribly gargled as she tried to pull herself up. When she was sitting she turned to me, her hair still fluffed out around her head and her face slowly draining of the blood that had been gathered there.

"I'm good," she said with a grin, patting down her hair, dragging her fingers through it to tame it.

"So you said they went where, the grocery store and to make copies of the ad?" I asked, trying to remember what she said. She nodded as her fingers stroked her short, dark hair meticulously, making it Alice worthy once again. "When will they be back?"

"Don't know," she replied, shrugging her shoulders as she removed her fingers from her hair. "Soon if I had to guess, they left a while ago. Why?" She could tell my mood was brighter than usual, and because she's Alice she knew something was up.

"Okay, I have some news!" I said with a clap of my hands. "I didn't even need to be a manipulative bitch, Jess said no." I couldn't help my relieved smile. I was glad that I didn't have to lie to Jessica – I would have felt horrible. Alice smiled back and leant against the wall that Jasper's bed was against.

"Oh god, okay. That's great," Alice said with enthusiasm, putting a hand over her chest. "That makes it so much easier for us." I nodded in agreement, lying down on the floor, letting my hair spread out across the carpet, my chest heaving a sigh of comfort and reassurance as my conscience was cleared.

"Edward will be happy," I mused, bringing my hand up and smoothing the hair out of my face, playing with a few loose curls. I heard Alice whisper a mumbled 'mmhmm' as we both sat there, just enjoying the peacefulness of right now. I wasn't sure how long it was that we sat in the same position, just listening to each other's calm breathing, but after what I assumed was ten minutes the boys were back.

"Damn Jazz," Edward said, his breathing heavy. "What the hell did you buy so much for?" I could hear him saying this from the other side of the door, as it groaned in protest from trying to be pushed open. I got up off the floor and went over to the door, pulling it open to find Edward and Jasper, arms full with bags. Edward rolled his eyes as he walked past me, putting the bags on the floor in the middle of the room. Jasper followed suit with a wink and a grin, putting the bags next to Edward's.

"So we've bought enough food to feed the entire campus," Edward said with sarcasm, unzipping his jacket and discarding it on the floor. _Damn...why does he look so good in red? _I watched him as his hand raked through his hair, scratching the back of his neck. With his raised hand I could see a tiny sliver of skin between the bottom of his shirt and his low riding jeans, making me bite my lip as I blatantly stared at him. When my eyes finally managed to tear themselves away from his lower torso, they found his face.

Edward: Amused. Bella: Blushing.

He raised his brows at me, crossing his arms over his chest as the smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. I bit my lip harder in response, trying not to laugh at my ridiculous ogling. I was still blushing furiously, of course, feeling the blood rushing underneath my cheeks as my skin most likely turned the colour of his shirt.

Alice and Jasper were quietly conversing on the bed, and Edward cocked his head to the side as he began slowly and torturously walking over to me. He stopped just in front of me, still trying to break me down, to make me laugh. I wasn't going to give in.

"Hi," he said with humour in his voice, dragging a few fingers along my neck as he brushed my hair past my shoulder.

"Hi," I replied, my bottom lip taking a beating as I continually chewed on it.

"So, you...you look like you're interested in a little more than food," he whispered, leaning down a bit so only I could hear. I stifled my giggle and composed my face.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, feigning cluelessness. I pursed my lips when Edward smirked.

"I think you know what I'm talking about," he replied seductively, his voice low and dangerously sexy. I wasn't on the verge of laughing anymore, now I was turned on, wanting to jump on him in the middle of his room. He kissed the side of my neck, eliciting a mumbled moan from my lips. I pushed against his chest in horror when I saw Alice's face contort with laughter out of the corner of my eye. "Your room?" Edward whispered. I nodded quickly against his face and pulled away.

"Oh wait," I said, remembering my news all of a sudden. "I have to tell you guys something." Alice waved her hand at me, telling me to just go.

"I'll tell Jasper," she said with a wink, laughing again afterwards. I felt my face heat up again.

Alice: Amused. Bella: Blushing.

What the hell...it wasn't fair how sensitive to embarrassment my skin was.

"Okay..." I replied quietly as Edward grabbed me by the hand and practically yanked me from the room. He walked us down the hall, and somehow had my key in his hand. He pushed the door open and pulled me through, his lips meeting my skin as soon as the door was closed. My hair was being gripped in his hand as he held it away from my neck, lips and teeth and tongue running over my throat.

Incoherent was the word.

I couldn't remember what I had wanted to say to him, or whether or not what I had to say was even important. When he pressed his warm, wet lips to my collarbone I mewled, gripping onto hips and jeans for support. I deduced that what I needed to say could wait. But I had been excited about what I wanted to tell him.

As if sensing I was thinking it, Edward began a tantalizing ascent with his mouth to my ear, breathing out heavily as to send goose bumps to my most intimate places.

"Was...there something, you needed – to tell me?" He asked huskily in between kisses and nips. My eyes rolled back in my head as he gently sucked on my earlobe, but I pushed my hands against his chest, trying to regain some sense of where the hell I was so I could respond to him. He pulled back slightly, his nose grazing my chin and cheek and forehead as his chest heaved erratically along with mine.

"I...honestly can't remember," I replied, kissing his jaw line. I wanted to remember, to tell him what I had been waiting to tell him, but the perfect line of his jaw was just asking to be kissed.

"Bella," he moaned, his hand still gripping my hair. He pulled my head back a little bit, his crazed, lusting green emeralds darting from my lips to my eyes. "Please remember." I exhaled deeply when he pulled away completely, towing me to the bed. "Because it had to have been important." I sat down with him, my eyes trailing up and down his body, still unable to figure out what I needed to tell him.

"Bella," Edward said, lifting my head with a finger underneath my chin. "Think." I traced back, to before Edward returned.

I was with Alice, just lying there – silence.

Before that I was outside, running – cold.

_Before _that I was in the student center, talking – Jessica.

"Jessica said no," I told him with a smile, watching as his red, pouty lips curled into a grin. My coherency was gone again as I leant up and kissed his chin.

"Really?" He asked lazily, rubbing his hand in small circles all over my back. I nodded and pressed my lips to his throat, feeling heat on my mouth as I kissed gently. "That's such a relief."

"I know," I mumbled against soft, glorious skin. I peeled my lips back and continually took skin in between my teeth, dragging them across his neck as he began furiously grasping at the fabric of my shirt.

"We should go...out, and celebrate – dinner...or, something," he said, his voice betraying the coherency he was trying to display. I was glad I wasn't the only one who sounded like an utter delinquent right now.

"After," I whispered, getting onto my knees as my hand traveled into his hair. I climbed on his lap and kissed along his cheek as his hands each gripped my hips in a bid to find some sort of release. When I lowered my ass onto his hips, grinding down to find my pleasurable friction, I felt the hardness and yearning that was Edward pressing into me as he closed his eyes and groaned.

"After what?" He throatily replied, removing one hand from my hip, bringing it up to roughly caress one of my breasts. I nearly moaned at the sensation, wishing I didn't have so much clothing on right now. I reached down, my hands flying to the hem of my shirt, hastily tugging it over my head and discarding it. I pushed on Edward's chest and he complied, laying down flat on the bed as he watched me with awe.

"Just...after."

**E.P.O.V**

I lay motionless on my bed, a constant humming of noise coming from my mouth as all I seemed to be doing lately was trying to figure out how to end Bella's Melody. I began at the beginning again, starting out soft and gentle, escalating in the middle to the part that tugged on my heart. I furrowed my brows as the melody changed after that, and I started to slow again, having found a few more notes to add on to the end of the song. It wasn't complete yet, by any means, but when I had been with Bella the morning we drove back to school the notes just sort of fell into place.

Since I hadn't seen her in a few days I was overjoyed to see her that morning, and I guess because my emotions were running on high I found it easier to fill in that part of the song. I was glad for the small progress I had made, and had only made a little more since being back at school. It wasn't necessarily bothering me, just nagging at a tiny piece of my mind as I wanted it complete, so I could play it for her without a break in the tune.

When I had hummed the song a few more times to myself, quieting each time I hummed it, I heard the door open, followed by Jasper's Southern accent singing loudly, not a care in the world. I opened my eyes and watched him rocking out, singing just like Van Morrison as he belted out Brown Eyed Girl.

"_Going down the old mine with a transistor radio. Standing in the sunlight laughing, hiding behind a rainbow's wall. Slipping and a'sliding, all along the waterfall with you; my brown eyed girl."_

I laughed as the door shut and Jazz really started to let it out.

"_YOU MY brown eyed girl!" _

I decided to join in, and we were both singing the least manly part of the song.

"_Do you remember when we used to sing, Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da," _we both sang together, Jasper grinning when I joined in. _"Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da, la te da."_

"La te da," Jasper repeated, smirking before he set his bag on the floor. "Great song." I nodded my head in agreement.

"It is," I said, not helping the laugh that was escaping me. "How'd it go?" I hadn't sat up from my position, just angled my head so I could see Jazz. He sat on his bed, raking his fingers through his hair before he shrugged.

"Alright. He's twenty, sounds like a decent guy. He sounds like us, pretty much; listens to the same music and whatnot. He has a girlfriend, but she lives in New York, and goes to school there. I told him we'd keep him in thought as we looked around. I mean we still have months."

"Are you sure it wasn't Emmett?" I asked with a laugh. It sounded exactly like him.

"Nah, he seems like a good guy though. So he said to just give him a call when we knew what we were doing," Jasper replied. He had just finished meeting with someone who called about the house. It was our first call after putting the ads up a week ago. I wasn't expecting some huge response; I was actually surprised that someone had already called.

"What's his name again?"

"Uh, Dean," Jasper said, nodding his head along as he just sat on his bed, staring off into space. "Where have Alice and Bella gone?" Jasper asked, mashing his brows together as he realized neither of our girlfriends was present.

"Haircuts," I replied with a shake of my head. Alice had practically dragged Bella away from me and to the hair salon, insisting they needed some 'girl time'.

"Oh, right. I told Al not to text me, so she never told me if she was doing anything," Jasper said with a yawn. It was just after one and I hadn't gotten anything to eat yet today, so with a grumble of my stomach I got up off the bed.

"Let's go get some food," I said to Jasper, slipping on my shoes.

"You read my mind," Jasper said with a smirk, stuffing his key in his pocket before the both of us hurried down the hallway to the tunnel. On the way to Commons Jasper and I talked of anything, really. About the two weeks of school we've had so far, what music we had been listening to, the movies we were watching. It was all so easy talking to him, so care-free and interesting. Nothing Jasper ever said made me stop and say 'what the fuck?' Unless I was meant to think that, Jasper always made _sense. _

"...and then she turned around and was like 'did I ask _you_?'" Jasper laughed as he recalled a mishap in his tutorial earlier in the week. "I didn't know what to do, so I just told her 'no, you didn't ask me, but I'm answering anyways'."

"You actually said that to her?" I asked with a wide-eyed stare and a laugh. Jasper nodded.

"Hell yeah I said that to her. She was being so darn stuck up, thinking she was some god given gift to man kind." He rolled his eyes as he ordered a sandwich. After he was done I did the same, still in awe at how ballsy Jasper was.

"I would never have been able to do that," I said to Jasper once we paid for our food. "She didn't want to castrate you after?" He laughed heartily as we walked to our table.

"She probably did, but I didn't stick around long enough to find out," he said with that signature grin, sitting down at the table. I followed suit and we both began eating, comfortably talking and joking about anything and everything. When we were done we still just sat and talked, and I felt my fingers twitching at the thought of texting or calling Bella. But Alice had told me that Bella wouldn't be answering her phone, and if she did, Alice was going to drive to the lake and throw it in.

I thought it was a little much for her to threaten the life of Bella's phone if I texted her, but I resisted. I could wait until she got back. By the time we decided to leave it was nearing two o'clock, and just before I had decided to stand I heard Jasper emitting a deep, growling cat call.

"Me-ow," Jasper said after, his eyes staring intently past me and to the other side of Commons. I swiftly turned my head, seeing Alice first, rushing to us, her hair a bit shorter than it was before, but very elegantly styled. The spikes weren't in every direction like usual; they looked a lot less sharp, instead looking softer. Her make-up was done as well, making her brown eyes stand out even more, thus making her that much more beautiful.

My quick assessment of Alice finished and my eyes moved behind her, and when they did...I don't even know what happened.

Nothing and everything happened at the same time.

My heart stopped. I choked on the air. I felt heat and tension in my groin. I couldn't move.

It was like I was dying and getting and erection at the same time. It was unnerving, yet satisfying, as Bella walked behind Alice, her gorgeous, curly brown hair resting perfectly on her breasts. It was a lot shorter than before, as it had usually rested underneath her breasts as opposed to on top of them. It was elegant as well as soft curls floated from the top of head down to the tips of her hair, bouncing with every step she took. It wasn't the hair that got me though – it was the eyes, the face.

When Bella stopped in front of me, her delicious red lips smiling, revealing her perfectly straight row of teeth, I could see her eyes clear as day. They were smoky; smoky and sexy and seductive. I couldn't remember how to breathe. I was sure I hadn't in minutes. Her make-up was so flawlessly done that it barely looked like she was wearing any, but as I realized she did have some on, it enhanced her natural beauty ten-fold, making me stare at her like an _utter _moron.

"H..." I coughed, trying to remember how to use _any _bodily function. "Hey," I croaked. Bella smiled at me and I couldn't stop staring at her damn lips, what was she using, lip gloss? They were shiny and red, looking more irresistible than usual.

"I haven't even said anything yet and my lips already have all your attention," she said with a grin, walking around my chair to perch herself on my thighs. "Ooh." Her brows arched as she wiggled her ass on my lap, feeling my erection as it rubbed against her. She pressed her pretty, shiny lips against my ear and whispered, making me shiver. "Like what you see?"

"Mmhmm," I mumbled, nodding mechanically as my body seemed to be unable to function in any other way at the moment. _Oh come on Edward, you're pathetic. _As Bella leant down to kiss my cheek the thoughts in my mind were excused rudely by my hormones, chasing them away, never to return. When she pulled away a bit she laughed at my response to her 'mini make-over', glancing over to Alice and Jasper. They were much in the same position as us, but that calm motherfucker was at least capable of coherent thought, unlike me.

"Alice thought it was necessary to buy you a tie to match my dress for tonight," Bella said with a laugh, snapping me out of my daze, restoring a bit of my coherency.

"Oh," I said, finding her face again, drowning in her sultry, smoky eyes. "Wh – what colour dress did you buy?" I placed my hand on the small of her back, finding movement in my hands once again.

"Navy blue," she said with a smirk.

Ugh, blue. My _favourite _colour, and worse, my favourite colour on her.

I swallowed audibly, trying to push my hard-on and hormones from my mind; failing miserably as I couldn't stop picturing Bella in a skimpy, navy blue dress.

"Where are we going again? Has Emmett decided?" I asked, squeezing my eyes shut in a bid to get thoughts of her out of my mind. Ha. Why bother trying? She was sitting square on my lap, looking more like a goddess than she ever had, and she wasn't even wearing the dress yet. I opened my eyes then, finding her shiny lips yet again. They looked tasty.

"Not sure. Rose said he hadn't decided, but we'll probably be going out for dinner or something. You called and wished him a happy birthday right?" Bella asked, making me laugh. The stupid fuck called me at eight in the morning, screaming 'I'm twenty-one, BITCH!' at the top of his lungs. I wanted to kill him for waking me up, but instead just grumbled an angry 'happy birthday fucker' to him before hanging up and going back to sleep.

"He actually called me," I said with a laugh, remembering Emmett's ungodly wake-up call. "And yes I did wish him a happy birthday, did you?" Bella smiled and nodded, leaning her head down to mine, lips pressing against lips in an explosion of warmth and strawberry.

Her lip gloss was _strawberry._

_God damn STRAWBERRY. _

Shit, this is what I imagined her hair would taste like.

I ran my tongue along her bottom lip, sucking on it like my life depended on it as she giggled.

"Edw...ard," she mumbled against my lips, pulling her bottom lip away from me. She bit on it, keeping it under protection as I eyed it hungrily.

"Your hair tastes like that," I said, furrowing my brows at myself. "I mean..." Bella started to laugh, and I heard Alice laughing at us too. "It tastes the way your hair smells." Bella smirked and kissed me again, but this time only for a second.

"Okay you two," Alice said, feeling her tiny body next to me as she tugged on Bella's arm. "None of that. Come on Bells, we need to go get ready." I heard Bella sigh in something like defeat, when I asked Alice what the hell she was talking about.

"We still have a few hours before we have to go?" I said to her, holding onto Bella by the waist. I could take the pixie, I didn't care if she was feisty, she weighed as much as my right leg.

"Yes but we have things to do," Alice replied, taking up Bella's hand, pulling her off my lap. I frowned at the loss of contact with her, fiercely glowering at Alice and her 'let's monopolize Bella' plan. I wasn't too fond of it.

"What kind of things?" I asked, crossing my arms at Alice.

"Painting nails, talking boys, bad-talking our boyfriends," Alice said with a wink. I narrowed my eyes at her. "Cool your jets, we're having our much needed Alice-Bella time!"

With that Alice pulled Bella away; Bella blowing me a kiss with her sexy, strawberry lips as she was being yanked from my side. I stood up then, and Jasper joined me. Together we watched in complete awe as our girlfriends retreated, their hands inter-locked. My eyes were glued to Bella's ass, while Jasper's were surely glued to Alice's. As they rounded the corner and out of sight I smirked at how much control the two of them had over us.

Damn those brown eyed girls.

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**A/N:** Please, please, please leave your thoughts and love! You won't have many more chapters to tell me what you think of it!

Clearly my inspiration, or rather the song I listened to frequently while writing this chapter, was Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl. Awesome song – LOVE it. Go listen if you never have. It sounds a lot better listening to it rather than reading it because the Sha la la's get annoying to read over and over.

I don't have anything else to say, but thanks to all my reviewers and readers, you guys are awesome : )

I'm off to see TRANSFORMERS 2 tonight, and I am stoked as it will be sweet. But not until later tonight, so I will be cranky tomorrow morning when I have to get up for work. So make me feel better and review!

Oh and P.S: to any of those readers who also read Forgive Me, Please...I expected it to be up by the weekend, but might be a bit later as I am still freaking out over my classes. Please be patient, it will be up soon! Thanks so much.

_**Reviews are superior to strawberry flavoured lip gloss.**_


	30. Silver Heels

**A/N: **Alright then loves! A long chapter here for you all. I couldn't stop writing. I actually had this chapter pretty much done a few days ago, but a lot of stuff got in the way.

It was my 19TH BIRTHDAY!! So I was a little busy, haha. But no worries, I was never intoxicated while writing, so it shouldn't sound too bad ; )

Thanks for bearing with me while I figure out how to draw this story to a close. I have decided that I will do the last chapter in two parts, effectively having 2 chapters, but I will be posting them at the same time. So if the update is a little later than expected please be patient, I will be writing more than one chapter.

Much thanks and love to all my readers and reviewers – **clancy119 **I adore you, you review after EVERY chapter of this and Forgive Me, Please. You're great : )

I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I jipped you guys last time with that non-lemon, teehee. But one little one may have snuck in there for yah this time ; )

Enjoy!

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B.P.O.V

I sat on my bed, my feet hanging off the edge as Alice sat Indian style in front of me, my left foot in her lap while she carefully painted my toenails. It tickled sometimes when her fingers brushed against a sensitive part of my foot, and three times already she had asked me not to move.

"Damn Bella," Alice said, wiping some nail polish from my baby toe with her finger. "Stop moving." I saw a small smile on her lips and I grinned too.

"It's your fault, you keep tickling me," I said to her as she finished up the paint job. She had decided to go with a deep, blood red as it would go perfectly with my navy blue dress. "Thanks Al, they look great." I wiggled my toes, watching as the small red nails danced back at me.

"No problem," she said with shrug, standing up. "Don't walk for a few minutes; I don't want you to mess them up." She pointed a finger at me, asserting her authority. I smiled at Alice and shook my head.

"Yes, Alice," I said with a giggle, watching her as she floated around the room. Since she had already painted my nails, and her nails, she aimlessly went around the room, collecting everything to help her get ready. I wasn't sure what else she needed, as our hair and make-up was already done. Knowing her she most likely wanted to touch up the hair and make-up.

Alice went to her iPod dock and plugged in her iPod, setting the volume to a reasonable level, letting some Metric come through the speakers to fill our room. She danced around a little and we both began singing. After a minute I got up, deciding that my nail polish had dried enough for me to walk. I swayed lightly to the music as I went over to my desk, pulling down my own mirror to examine my hair and make-up.

I definitely needed more of that lip gloss. Edward couldn't stop looking at my lips earlier, and when he'd kissed me it was so intense. He _loved _the lips gloss; he had tried to bite my lip of for god's sake. I smirked at how he'd reacted to me and went over to Alice's desk, rifling through all of her make-up for said lip gloss.

"Alice where's that strawberry stuff you put on my lips?" I asked her, searching through bags to find it. She kept singing and came over, opening the one bag I hadn't and pulled it out, handing it to me. "Thanks."

She nodded her head as to say 'you're welcome' and danced away from me, swinging her tiny hips. I laughed before I went over to my bed and snatched up my phone. I subtly checked if I had any messages – I wasn't sure if Alice was still threatening to toss my phone in the lake. I grew a little giddy when I had a text from Edward. I wasn't sure why him texting me still gave me butterflies, but either way it did.

I flipped it open and read the words with a smile on my face.

_You looked beautiful. Can't wait to see you in that dress. See you later, love you._

"Ah, ah, ah," Alice said in a scolding tone. "What was the rule?" I held the phone away from the relentless pixie and hurriedly typed a reply to Edward.

"Shut it Alice, we're nowhere near the lake." She laughed as the song ended.

"I can always change that," Alice said with a raised brow.

"Okay, no more texts," I said with surrender, sitting on the bed and putting the phone beside me. "When's Rose coming?" Coinciding with my question a knock sounded on our door. Alice and I both laughed a little.

"I guess now," Alice said with a shrug, going over to the door. Sure enough when she opened it Rosalie and all her perfection walked through, glowing like she had just been crowned Miss America.

"Hey!" She said excitedly, walking over to my bed, putting her clothes and other accessories on it. "Is it okay if I put this stuff here?" She asked me as I scooted over.

"Yeah go ahead," I said with a wave of my hand. "Emmett finally let you leave?" I asked with a grin. Rosalie rolled her eyes as she emptied her hands, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Finally," she said with a wink. "I swear, the man hasn't let me out of his sight since we've been back." Rosalie laughed and went over to my desk, sitting down in the chair as Alice stopped playing the music and took up a spot on her bed.

"He really missed you Rose," Alice said with a warm smile.

"I know," she said to us, nodding her head. "I missed him too. I had to force him out of my room though. I told him he wouldn't get his birthday presents if he didn't." Rosalie laughed at her cunning behaviour, and Alice and I laughed as well. Of course Emmett would scare easily at the prospect of not getting birthday presents. He was a twelve year old trapped in a twenty-one year olds body.

"Good, so now that you're here, we can start getting you ready!" Alice said with enthusiasm. "How do you want your hair?"

The next hour that passed was spent more or less with me watching Alice and Rose get her ready for the evening. Rosalie had decided on curling her hair and pinning it up, letting curls fall from her messy bun so they rested lightly on her shoulders. Alice made sure Rose's make-up was completely flawless, giving her eyes a sultry air to them as well.

When she was done getting ready Alice called me to her 'office', and I went over, sitting in the chair as Alice redid a little bit of my make-up; reapplying more mascara, putting on more strawberry lip gloss. She also took the liberty of curling a few pieces of hair that had come uncurled since we'd had our hair done.

Once I was finished Alice touched up her own hair and make-up, and after an hour and a half of transforming our room into a beauty parlour, we were done. We weren't dressed and hadn't accessorized, but the hardest part of getting ready was over. All we had to do was change.

I went to change first, and told Alice and Rosalie not to look as I was changing near my closet. I didn't want to go down the hall to the bathroom and come out wearing a dress. I also didn't want to take the chance that Edward may see me if I were to go down the hall. So instead I stripped in front of my closet, and opted not to wear a bra as my dress had one strap that secured itself around my neck.

I slipped the fabric on over my head, shimmying it down my body and adjusting it so it fit me in all the right places. I tied the material around my neck and flattened the skirt out on my stomach and thighs before stepping back out, making sure it was sitting on my body properly. It was a halter dress, and although it fit snugly around my chest, it flowed freely away from my body as it rested just above my knees.

"Okay you can look now," I said to the backs of Rosalie and Alice. They both turned to me and smiled, coming over to examine me closer.

"Alice you were right," Rose said with a smirk. "This colour on her is perfect. It goes really well with your skin tone Bella."

"Thanks," I said with mild confusion. I had no clue what went good with what type of skin – that was all Alice. She was the one who knew what 'season' I was, as well as what colours I should avoid wearing. "She's the expert, not me." Alice laughed and walked around behind me, pulling my hair a little so some of it fell behind my shoulders.

"I think I did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself," Alice remarked proudly.

"That you did," I said with a grin.

After I was done getting dressed Alice changed next, then Rosalie after her. Alice's dress was black, cutting low to show off the little bit of cleavage she had. Unlike mine Alice's dress fit her snugly all around, ending just about mid-thigh. She looked fantastic.

Then Rosalie...

I had thought I looked pretty good after I was finished getting ready, but Rosalie made me feel much less superior. She was wearing a shimmering green dress, the sequins that patterned it brought out her eyes and made them pop. I was speechless, she really did look like Miss America; all she was missing was the sash and the crown.

"Holy shit Rose," I said with awe, watching as Rosalie fixed the straps of her dress. "You look amazing." She grinned and wiggled her ass, letting the material of the dress fall easily against her thighs.

"Thanks, you two look great. God, the boys won't know what to do with themselves," she replied with a sinister chuckle. I knew I looked like the gum on the bottom of someone's shoe when compared to Rosalie, but I also knew she was right. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett wouldn't know what to do with the three of us.

"We have to be careful though," Alice said with a smirk. "We don't want to give them all heart attacks." Alice threw her head back in laughter and went over to her closet, pulling out her deep purple dress coat. I had one that was similar to it, only it was black instead.

I followed Alice's example and went over to my closet, sifting through all my clothes to find the coat in question. It took me a few minutes before I found it, and by that time I wasn't even paying attention to the conversation taking place between Alice and Rose. I pulled the coat and myself out of the closet, hearing Alice's raised voice as she ranted about something.

"...then I always find him looking at me though?" She said to Rose, her tone clearly irritated. "Like...I'd almost say he likes me, but he's such a complete ass to me." Alice sat down on her bed, rolling her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" I asked her, although I think I had a feeling of what, or rather, who she was talking about.

"My TA," she grumbled angrily. "I was telling Rose that he's such a jerk, and always gets on me about certain things, and then other times if I look at him I find him looking right back at me. For no good reason!" She threw her hands up and sighed.

"Well I think it sounds like someone has a crush on you Alice," Rosalie jested. Alice scoffed at her. "Seriously. Most guys who like a girl tease them or make fun of them rather than treating them kindly." Alice furrowed her brows, probably wondering if her TA actually did have a crush on her.

"Oh god...you don't think do you? I mean he does poke fun at me, which is why I always found him to be such a jerk," she said with unease. "And we argue like there's no tomorrow."

"I honestly think that's it Alice," Rosalie said with confidence, going over to my bed so she could get her heels. "He's most likely too shy to say anything to you, so he just acts the way he can when he's with you. He is practically your teacher."

I watched as Alice sighed again and shook her head, giving me a confusing look before getting up as well. She mouthed an obvious 'what the fuck?' to me while going over to her closet, grabbing her heels as well. She pulled them out and slipped them on her feet, adding an extra few inches to her height, making her nearly as tall as me. She still looked sad and conflicted, but I knew she'd perk right up when she saw Jasper; he always had that affect on her.

I turned to my closet and pulled out my shoes, the deathly three-inch heels that were threatening my life, mocking me from the floor. Alice had pretty much forced me to buy them, telling me they were the perfect shoes for the outfit. They were silver, and although I didn't want to admit it, they did go really good with the dress. I was only afraid of killing myself somehow, tripping over my own feet, falling down the stairs, breaking a heel and falling face first into something.

I knew it was inevitable.

"Alice...if I die, you have to explain to Charlie that it was the heels," I said with a shake of my head, slipping my feet into the heels as I held on to my closet door for dear life. I had worn heels before, but not for any length of time – and definitely nothing as tall as three inches. I think the heel I had worn was only one inch; something that certainly didn't seem at all life ending.

"Bella, if Edward lets you anywhere out of the general vicinity of himself, _then _I will think about what to say to Charlie. I'd be surprised if he lets you go at all tonight," she said with a grin, making me blush. My cheeks felt hot as I turned around and started walking about the room – testing out the heels to be sure I could walk. I thought I would look like Bambi did when he first learned how to walk, all wobbly-legged. But I didn't. I knew I could walk in heels, just wasn't sure whether or not I'd look like a complete moron.

What do you know? I, Isabella Swan, can walk like a normal human being in high heels. I was actually proud of myself for being able to walk in a straight line wearing these death traps. I spun around and walked back the other way, towards the door, feeling more confident as I reached the other end of the room without disruption. Alice had just put on her dress coat as I was walking by, and Rosalie was sitting on my bed securing the straps of her heels.

"Alright, I think I can survive the night without causing major bodily harm," I said with a smirk, going over to the ledge above my bed where I had draped my dress coat. Alice laughed a little and started doing up the buttons on her coat while I slid mine over my shoulders. I started doing up my buttons as well, and Rosalie had just finished strapping her heels to her feet.

She stood up and brushed herself off, tapping her heels against the ground to make sure they weren't going to fall off her feet. When she was satisfied she turned back to my bed and pulled on her coat, zipping it up before turning back to me.

"Oh damn!" Alice shouted, turning around to Rose and me. She held a navy blue tie in her hand...the tie that Edward was _supposed _to be wearing.

"Shit Alice...we forgot to give him the tie," I said with a sorry look on my face, darting to her and taking the tie in my hands. "I'll run it to him quick." Alice handed me the tie and I threw it over my neck, making my way out the door as I tried to tie it properly. Charlie had taught me the correct way to tie one when I was younger, and I still remembered how.

I was in front of Edward's door in seconds and I knocked on it a few times, still trying to tie it. Just when he opened the door I pulled the tie over my head, Edward's chest staring me right in the face. He had on his suit, but the dress shirt was only half-way done up, revealing the hard, smooth skin of Edward's pecks and abs.

"Um, I forgot to bring you the tie," I said to him, trailing my eyes up to his face. I'll be damned if he didn't look like he could lunge at me right now. I had to bite my lip to contain myself; Edward in regular clothes was a god, but Edward in a suit...

Cue Bella drooling.

I suddenly felt heat flood to my stomach when I realized that I would see Edward in a tux as well. Holy mother of god. I would _not _jump Edward at my father's wedding. I needed to make a checklist of things I wouldn't do at his wedding. Punching Mike Newton in the face and jumping Edward were on the top of that list.

"You know how to tie a tie?" He asked me, as I just stood there, nearly entranced. I shook my head. _Come on Bella...get a grip. Emmett's birthday. Dinner. Presents. Cake. Birthday stuff. _

"Yeah, my dad taught me how to," I said with a grin, standing up on my toes to put the tie around his head. He bowed it for me, so I could reach him more easily, and I slid the tie on, causing his hair to ruffle in the process. He raked his fingers through it once the tie was in place, making it a sexy mess once again.

"Very nice," he said with my favourite crooked grin, flicking the tie. "Alice chose the right colour I see." He motioned his hand to the bottom of my dress, which was the only part of it he could see while my coat was on. His eyes traveled further down my body, and I watched as his face contorted and he leaned against the door frame.

"Fuck..." He whispered, his eyes slowly making their way back up to my face. I furrowed my brows, looking at him questioningly. "You're wearing heels." I bit my lip; I had never worn heels in all the time I'd known Edward.

"Blame Alice," I said with my cheeks blazing hot. _Why? _Why did my face react without my consent?

"Blame Alice?" Edward asked, stepping out of the room to let the door close. He wrapped one arm around my waist and pulled me close, leaning down to kiss me tenderly on the throat. "I'd sooner thank her." His warm breath danced across my earlobe, making the skin tingle with forming goose bumps.

"Why would you thank her?" I asked innocently. Edward's seductive chuckle lingered on my skin and he pulled his head from my neck, his dark, lusting emeralds scorching into me.

"Why wouldn't I?"

He began kissing my neck again, being impossibly sensual as his warm, soft lips made their way up and down my throat. I gripped onto the back of his jacket, pulling his face closer so I could feel more of him. Despite how much I wanted Edward, I knew we needed to go, we still had dinner.

_Dinner. Presents. Cake, _I chanted in my head.

I pulled away from Edward, knowing the continuation of his actions would lead to a very unhappy bunch of people as we would miss our reservation.

"I have to go back to my room and get Em's present," I said to Edward, whose chest was heaving, and still staring me in the face. "Finish getting ready and come to our room." Edward removed his hands from my waist and nodded reluctantly.

"Okay," he replied, kissing me lightly on the lips before licking his and disappearing into the room. I went back down the hall to my room and found Rose and Alice standing by the door, waiting for me to come back. Rose had a gift bag in her hand, as well as Alice. The gift I had gotten for Emmett was sitting on the floor by my desk. I went over and picked it up, grabbing the clutch I had bought this morning off of my desk before going back over to Alice and Rose.

"So is Emmett coming back here to pick you up?" I asked Rosalie.

"Yeah," she said, "he should be here now actually." She glanced behind me to check the clock on the desk. "It's almost five, and he said he'd be back around five to get me. Are you all taking the Volvo?"

"I think," I said with furrowed brows. I really wasn't sure. "We're not taking the Porsche right?" Alice shrugged her tiny shoulders, giggling as we hadn't formulated any kind of plan. What was wrong with Alice? She was usually on this stuff like superglue.

"I'm pretty sure Edward is driving," Alice said. I heard a knock on the door just as I was about to respond. Alice jumped and hurried over, throwing it open to see Edward standing in its frame. Edward stepped aside and allowed her to exit, smiling at me over her head when he saw me. Rosalie followed after Alice, and I after her. I locked the door and watched ahead of me as Alice was in Jasper's arms giving him a hug.

I was right; she was all smiles and giggles now that she was with Jasper. He always made her better. I turned to Edward and he held out his arm for me to take. I blushed at how gentlemanly of a gesture it was and accepted it, holding onto the crook of his elbow as we all made our way down the hall. I astounded myself when I didn't fall down the stairs, but it was only because Edward was there for me to hold on to. If he wasn't there I'm not sure how well I would have done.

When we got into the parking garage Rosalie parted from us, walking out to the front of Berry as she said Emmett would be waiting for her. The rest of us made our way to the Volvo, and Alice was right – Edward was driving. I swear to god Alice knew everything.

Edward popped the trunk for everyone to put their presents in, and once I had put mine in I got into the front seat, rubbing the sides of my arms as I could feel the cold draft from the garage penetrating my coat. Everyone else piled in the car and Edward noticed how chilly I was, telling me he'd turn the heat on as soon as he could.

When we pulled out of the parking garage we could see the Jeep just ahead of us, turning left as it made its way to the restaurant. We followed behind Emmett and Rosalie, talking about Emmett and the fact that we couldn't believe he was twenty-one. Edward kept reminiscing about how he remembered like it was yesterday that he and Emmett used to play pranks on each other, always getting in trouble from Esme.

I could tell on his face that he was sad that Emmett was moving out. We both knew Emmett was more than excited about finally getting his own place with Rosalie, but I could see it on Edward's face that he would miss big, goofy Emmett. At least when we came back for next year we would be close to them. I was going to miss him too.

"Okay, we're here," Edward said to us, pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant. I looked out the window and noted that the name of it was 'La Lune'. I was pretty sure in English that meant 'the moon' although I wasn't too sure, I hadn't taken French in years. Edward parked a few spaces down from Emmett, killing the engine and getting out of the car before me so he could come open my door.

I loved how sweet he was, and although I found it unnecessary for him to open my door for me, I didn't have the heart to tell him to stop. His actions had my mouth permanently curled up into the stupidest grin I had ever worn.

**E.P.O.V**

The hostess showed us to our table and told us our server would be with us in a few minutes. Before Bella sat down I helped her to take off her coat. When I slid the jacket from her shoulders I think I almost lost my mind. Bella's bare back was revealed to me, the skin looking impossibly soft and smooth as she thanked me and sat in her chair.

_Move Edward...do something. _

I forced myself to move, placing the coat around the back of her chair and sitting down in the one next to her. She was glancing over to me, smiling as she knew I was _really _loving the way she looked right now. The dress was cut low in the front, revealing all of the flawless skin of her chest, and her back was bare.

_Bare._

_Oh god...that means she's not wearing a bra. _

Fuck, I'm screwed.

I had to bite on my lip, desperately trying to keep the heat from flooding to my groin, but I was unsuccessful. She looked so beautiful, more beautiful than she had looked this afternoon; something I hadn't thought was possible. I positioned my arm on the back of her chair and leant in, grazing my nose along her cheek while everyone else took their seats.

"You look stunning," I whispered to her, pulling away and watching her cheeks as they flushed that perfect shade of rose. "I lied...now you look stunning." I grinned and brushed my fingers along her cheek, making her blush even darker. She smiled and turned to me a little bit, looking me up and down while her cheeks burned red.

"You clean up pretty nice yourself," she said with a cute smirk, leaning in to kiss me. I chuckled and kissed her back, pulling away as our waiter came to the table.

After he took everyone's drink orders the waiter left, and the six of us engaged in conversation. We all wished Emmett another happy birthday, talked about school, life, next year – everything, anything. After a while we placed our food orders; I ordered a steak dish as Bella ordered salmon. I wasn't sure about everyone else as all my attention was drawn immediately to her. Alice and Rosalie looked beautiful as well, but my eyes were only for Bella; even if I had wanted to look anywhere else I wasn't sure that my body would let me if I tried.

During the meal we still kept up the conversation and soon Emmett began getting on everyone about his presents. I swear to god, Emmett could be anywhere in the world right now, doing the most extraordinary thing, and I bet he would still be asking where the fuck his presents were. That's just the way he worked. Most of the time he acted older than he looked, but at other times he acted like a child; I loved him to death.

I started laughing when Rosalie threatened Emmett's presents if he didn't shut up about it, but almost choked on my breath when I felt Bella's fingers lightly press against my knee. She began drawing a small circle, picking her fork up and eating like nothing was even happening. I watched her smirk, ever so slightly, before she slid the fork in her mouth, drawing it out slowly – a motion that had my cock raging against the inside of my dress pants.

I shifted uncomfortably, almost hissing when Bella's hand furthered on my thigh, fingertips still brushing against the fabric. Would anyone mind if I threw Bella down on the table and had my way with her? I mean really...she was just asking for it. Palming my leg with confidence, continuing on like nothing was wrong, looking inhumanly beautiful – this version of Bella was definitely on the top of my list of favourites, and my erection agreed.

I decided to play it cool though, so I picked my fork back up as well and dug into my rice, chewing with care so I didn't choke. Bella's hand kept sliding and I kept eating, perspiration quickly beading on the back of my neck as the rest of them kept talking. It was all so horribly arousing. We were in public, and anyone could catch her molesting my thigh, but that thought didn't deter me, it made my arousal heighten.

I shifted again and tensed when Bella's hand pressed into my cock, the heat from her skin permeating the pants with ease. I glanced to her face and she was still looking to everyone else, avoiding my gaze, eating her food with a permanent grin.

"Dude, you okay?" Emmett asked. It wasn't until I looked up from my plate that I realized Emmett was talking to me. I curled my fingers into my hair, tugging on it when Bella's hand pressed down on me again.

"Yeah fine," I said with a tight smile, Emmett raising a brow at my odd behaviour.

_Come on...play it cool. _

"You don't look fine," Alice pointed out. Oh for god's sake.

"Just a little heartburn," I said with a shrug.

"Drink some water," Alice suggested. I hurriedly picked up my glass and drank some, trying to cool myself down as my core temperature was quickly building and the sweat was beginning to show on my face. Suddenly, Bella's hand left my dick, and I swivelled my head with force, not sure whether to feel angry or thankful.

"Excuse me," she said with a polite smile. "I need to go to the bathroom."

_Oh, like hell you do._

She was trying to fuck with me. She knew it was working too because my erection was exhibit A – I couldn't hide that shit if I tried. She smirked seductively as she rose from her seat, Alice and Rosalie standing up to go with her. I growled, producing the sound from the back of my throat as Bella left the table and left me alone to my throbbing, ever-present hard-on.

I would get her back later.

"Come on you guys...give me something, a hint of what you got me," Emmett pleaded, his eyes excited as he leant his elbows on the table, avoiding his plate while looking eagerly to Jasper and me.

"Emmett for the last time – no!" Jasper said with a laugh, dipping his fingers in his glass of water and flicking them at Emmett. Emmett flinched back and smiled as he wiped his hand over his face, clearing the water that Jasper hit him with. He frowned afterwards, sinking back into his chair like a child who just dropped his ice cream cone.

"Stubborn sons of bitches," he muttered, grinning at me after. I rolled my eyes and carried on eating, trying to wish my erection away. Damn Bella...damn her and her small, warm, magical hands.

Great...that just made it worse.

I sighed, shifting uncomfortably again while Jasper asked Emmett something about his major. I really wasn't paying any attention – they could have been talking about cross-dressing midgets and I would have been none the wiser. I went to take a sip of my water and heard my name, but nothing else. Jasper had asked me something.

"Huh?" I asked him, setting my glass back down.

"Do you know what you want to do yet?" Jasper repeated, grinning because he knew I hadn't been paying attention. I shrugged and pushed my rice around with my fork, still unnerved by the fact that I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life.

"Nah," I told him, frowning a bit. "I still haven't decided, I mean...what can a major in history offer me?" I wasn't at all sure – I didn't want to work some boring museum job for the rest of my life. Although I did love to read I imagined a library would be just as bad.

"Tons of things," Emmett said, leaning back in his chair as he most likely thought of the possibilities. "You could teach, for one." I thought about that...teaching. Huh.

"Teaching?" I said, wondering why I had never considered it before. I loved kids, but wasn't really sure that I'd like to teach a bunch of sixth graders about how America was founded. "I don't think I'd be able to deal with a bunch of whiney eleven year olds for the rest of my life." I grinned and shook my head, picturing myself waist deep in children who were wreaking havoc on the classroom, eating glue and pulling each others hair.

"Well then don't teach young children, become a professor or something," Jasper said to me, sipping his water thoughtfully. Just then Bella, Alice, and Rosalie returned to the table, laughing about something. I wondered if she had mentioned her dinner table antics to them, and almost felt myself panicking at the prospect that they knew. Neither of them looked at me though, so I assumed Bella had kept her intimate gestures to herself.

"So, what'd we miss?" Rosalie asked, smiling as Emmett kissed her on the cheek.

We spent the next half an hour finishing our conversation and eating the rest of our food. Bella thought the idea of me becoming a teacher was a new one, something she hadn't thought of before. She said it suited me though because I was tolerant and patient, and could most likely handle the chaos of a classroom full of students. I also wasn't shy, speaking in public to a crowd didn't intimidate me like it did some people.

"Okay...seriously, _now _can I have my presents?" Emmett asked again as we all walked back into the parking lot. All of us erupted with laughter – I swear sometimes Emmett was truly a small child trapped in the body of a football player.

"What'd I say Emmett?" Rosalie asked with annoyance, shaking her head. "Do you want your presents or not?" Emmett went silent; facing the wrath of Rosalie was something he usually took with ease. I guess he really wanted his presents. When we got back to the Volvo we stood there for a few minutes, talking about what to do.

"The guys are throwing me a party back at Sigma Phi," Emmett said, "I'm sort of obligated to go. You all want to come?" I looked over to Bella. The last time we went to one of their parties the night was more fucked up than words can describe. She looked up at me questioningly, asking me if I wanted to go. The only reason I'd go is for Emmett – it was his birthday after all.

"Hell yeah I want to go!" Alice shrieked, jumping excitedly. "Come on Bells, it'll be fun." Bella bit her lip and tilted her head at me. I was only going for Emmett so I nodded.

"Sure," Bella said with a smile. I pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. I wouldn't do what I had done last time; I wasn't even sure I wanted to drink at all.

"Great," Emmett said with that goofy grin. "I guess I can wait until we get back to open my presents." I shook my head, and Rosalie and Emmett parted from us, getting in the Jeep while we got in the Volvo and headed to Sigma Phi.

When we arrived the music was pulsing through the house, the lights dimmed again like they had been last time. When we got in the front door I took off my suit jacket and un-tucked my shirt, unbuttoning a few buttons at the top so I didn't look too formal. Bella had taken off her jacket and was standing in the entry way to the frat house in her spectacular navy blue dress. While it hadn't been exactly the way I pictured it, I preferred this dress to some skimpy dress any day.

I also found it infuriating that half the house started to gawk at Bella, Rosalie, and Alice the moment we walked in the door. Hell no – this is part of the reason I didn't want to come. I'd be damned if I let any of these drunken frat guys hit on Bella. I knew Jasper and Emmett would keep Rose and Alice under protection, my worry was Bella.

I leant in to Emmett and told him we should go somewhere private to open his gifts – somewhere private as well as quiet. He nodded in agreement and told us all to go wait upstairs for him as he needed to say hello to everyone first. I wrapped a protective arm around Bella and she walked with me as the five of us headed up the stairs and into Emmett's room.

Bella and I sat on the bed while Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie sat on Emmett's couch. I knew that Emmett was sort of the head honcho of this fraternity, and the size of his room was something I envied. It was almost triple the size of our rooms, and he had a full fridge in here as well as one downstairs. I guess you never knew when you would get hungry if you were Emmett.

"Hey, sorry," Emmett said, busting through the door. I could hear the loud music downstairs briefly when he opened the door, but it was drowned out again when Emmett closed it. "Okay...presents!" I smirked and rolled my eyes – he would die without his presents.

"Yes," Rosalie said with a laugh, "before I strangle you, please."

Emmett went over and kissed her before he sat in the middle of his room, surrounded by gift bags and other wrapped gifts.

"Which one first?" Emmett asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"I want mine to be last," Rosalie said, pointing to the smallest bag of the bunch. Emmett nodded and Bella spoke up, telling him to open her present first. I laughed at her present when she told me what she got him – it was a gag gift, but Emmett would put it to good use. Emmett grinned and picked up Bella's present, tearing off the gold wrapping paper as he shredded the box, pulling his gift out.

"What is it?" He asked, twirling the straps around in his hand.

"A beer holster," Bella said with a laugh, standing up. "You put it around your legs and the pockets are used for holding beer bottles." Emmett's eyes went wide and he stood up, fastening it around his thick legs like Bella instructed.

"Damn Bella, this is awesome!" Emmett said, sticking his fists in the spaces meant for the bottles. "This way I can have like...four beers on me at once. Two in my hands and two at my sides." He started joking and pretended to go all Old Western on us, drawing invisible beer bottles from the pockets and pointing them at Bella. They both laughed and hugged, and Emmett thanked her for the present. He sat back down on the ground, holster still in place, while he opened Alice's present next.

"I wasn't sure what to get you, and I saw this the other day and thought you might like it," Alice said with a shrug.

"No, Alice, it's great, I love it," Emmett said with a wide grin, holding up a copy of NFL's Greatest Follies. It was something any football fan would love, and Emmett was most definitely a fan. Maybe fanatic would be a better word – he was almost as bad as Charlie. Emmett stood to hug Alice as well and again retreated to the floor, opening up my gift next.

I had gotten the biggest bag I could find and stuffed it full of tissue paper, putting in one of my textbooks to weigh it down. All that he had gotten from me was a small I.O.U – I knew he would be pissed. When Emmett got down to the bottom and pulled out my lengthy history textbook he frowned.

"Uh, bro...?" Emmett said, furrowing his brows. I laughed.

"Open the front cover." Emmett did as I instructed and read the piece of paper – all it said was _I.O.U – Edward. _

"Aw man! An I.O.U...what the hell?" We all laughed at Emmett as we were in on it while he wasn't.

"Calm yourself," I said with a hand gesture that told him to bring the level down. "It's an I.O.U for a real beer pong table. I had to order it, and they said it wouldn't be ready in time for your birthday. So I told them I would just wait. I'll get it for you whenever you want – it's for your house next year – Rose said it was okay." I winked at Rose and she smiled. At first she had been weary of getting a true beer pong table, but as she was almost as much of a champ as Emmett she agreed quickly.

"Beer pong!" Emmett hollered, the excitement on his face causing him to smile and laugh. "That's awesome; we're definitely having some sweet parties next year." We all laughed and Emmett continued on, opening Jasper's gift. Jazz had gotten him a rather expensive poker set, complete with multi-coloured chips and a few decks of cards.

"I guess we'll see who's better at poker at these parties next year as well," Jasper said with a raised brow.

"That we will," Emmett replied with a grin. "Thanks for the gift man." Jasper nodded his head as a 'you're welcome' and Emmett picked up Rosalie's gift. I knew what she got him, and wasn't sure if the rest of us should be here – it was really sentimental. He pulled out the small box that was nestled in between a few sheets of tissue paper and looked up to Rosalie before he pulled open the lid.

Rested inside the small, velvet box was a long, silver chain, two dog tags hanging off the end. Rosalie had them engraved, and it was the engraving that made the gift so sentimental – I'd go so far as to say it was cute what she wrote on them.

On the one tag it said: _Emmett, my love _on the front. On the back of that tag Rosalie had quoted The Lord of the Rings – one of Emmett's favourite movies. On the back of the tag it continued: _I would rather spend one lifetime with you than face all the Ages of this world alone. _

Emmett stared down at the tags, all of us – Rosalie included – holding our breath for him to do something. Instead he shifted his fingers and looked at the other tag. I wasn't sure which order he was reading them in, but the second tag said: _I love you – Rosalie _on the front, while on the back she had two small hearts engraved to symbolize the amount of time they had been together thus far.

"_Do you remember when we first met?"_ Rosalie asked Emmett after she had cleared her throat. He looked up to Rosalie, sliding the chain over his head and securing it around his neck.

"_I thought I had wandered into a dream..."_ Emmett replied. He stood up and went to Rosalie, taking her hand and pulling her up off the couch. For the longest time they just stared at each other, Emmett's beastly hands grasping either side of Rose's face, their eyes connecting and exchanging silent vows of affection. I was getting really uncomfortable because it was supposed to be an intimate moment, and right now Bella, Alice, Jasper, and I were all here to witness it.

I cleared my throat and caught the attention of the other three, motioning with my head to the door. Alice and Jasper nodded, sneaking around Emmett and Rosalie, heading for the door with Bella. I went over to Rosalie and Emmett and patted him on the back, wishing him one last 'happy birthday' before I left. When I got out I made sure the door was closed, taking up Bella's hand and making sure she didn't fall down the stairs as we made our way back to the party.

Now that Emmett was sufficiently occupied for the rest of the night I wasn't really sure what the point of me staying here was; I had only come to humour Emmett because it was his birthday. When Bella and I had parted from Alice and Jasper, standing in the living room of a very crowded Sigma Phi, I could see how uncomfortable with all this she still was.

"Want to get out of here?" I whispered, leaning down so Bella could hear me. She nodded her head and grasped my hand tighter, letting me lead her out of the mass of people so we could get our coats from the closet. When we were out the door and heading to the car Bella stopped.

"How are Alice and Jasper going to get back?" She asked. I furrowed my brows...they could walk?

"They have legs," I told her with a smirk. She rolled her eyes.

"Edward..."

"Bella I'm sure they'll be fine, text Alice if it will make you feel better. Tell her we're leaving." Bella pulled out her phone and started typing away; sighing happily when Alice told her they would be okay. "Come on." Bella smiled and took my outstretched hand, her heels clicking against the sidewalk with her every step.

_Good god her heels... _

I almost drooled when I first saw her. Too many images were running through my mind, all of them of Bella in nothing but those sexy, silver high heels. I needed to get it out of my head before I drove myself insane, fantasizing about how she looked when I could just see for myself.

I opened Bella's door for her before I got in as well, taking off like my ass was on fire once I revved the engine a few times. Bella had laughed at me, her care-free laugh making me smile like a dumbass. We were back in the parking garage of Berry in a matter of minutes and I insisted on taking her hand again because I really didn't want her to fall now; she had made it through the entire night without even tripping.

In all honesty I was surprised.

Half the time she couldn't walk straight without high heels on her feet, but tonight she couldn't do any wrong; she looked and smelled and sounded so perfect, nothing about her was flawed right now – not even her walking. Her heels colliding with the carpet didn't give off any sound, so instead I watched her feet as we walked, noting the way the creamy skin of her foot disappeared into the delicate silver shoe.

I hadn't even realized where we were walking; just enjoying the way she moved, watching those fucking heels like my life depended on it. When we got to her room she stopped, causing me to look up from her feet and focus on the fact that she was opening her door. We both stepped in and Bella sighed, undoing the buttons on her jacket as she slipped off the heels.

_Hell no._

"Bella?" I asked, walking up behind her, replacing her hands with mine, slowly undoing the buttons of her jacket as my mouth hovered over her ear.

"Hmm?" She replied, her skin reacting to my every exhale. I smirked.

"Put the heels back on please," I whispered, popping the last button out of its hole, sliding my hands up the fabric of her dress, feeling her skin through the thin material. I shivered when I ran my hands over her breasts; I could feel her nipples hardening through the dress.

_No bra..._My head sang, heat pooling in my stomach and flooding to my dick with the very thought.

"Why?" She asked, her head falling back to rest on my shoulder as my hands traveled further up, underneath the jacket to find the soft skin of her shoulders that had been hidden from me. In one swift motion I slid the jacket from her, discarding it over the ledge above her bed before returning my hands to her, exploring up her back, around her torso, down her arms.

"Because I want to see you wearing them," I replied, lightly nipping at her ear as she reached her arm up over her head, fisting her hand in my hair to pull me closer. "Only them..." I added after. My words caused her to whimper, and I smirked, my hands finding the hem of her dress with ease.

Bella quickly shifted around and I felt her height grow as she slipped the heels back on her feet. I smiled into the crook of her neck, she was so into this.

"Mmm," I mused, lifting Bella's skirt with my fingers, dragging them along the heated skin as her fingers dug into my hair. "You want me to see you in nothing but your heels, don't you?" All she did was whimper, tightening her hold painfully. "Answer me Bella." I grabbed a hold of her thigh, squeezing it in my hand as my thumb brushed along the seam of her panties.

"Ugh..." She moaned and writhed in my arms, her other hand finding the front of my leg, grabbing onto my pants to support herself. "Yes."

"Yes?" I asked like a question, releasing her thigh, hooking a finger into her underwear. "Yes, what?" I teased her, sliding my finger along the spot where her leg connected to her hip. I made sure to never accidentally brush against her clit or the wetness pooling between her thighs. I wanted her to break.

"Yes I want...you to see me in nothing – but, the heels," she said, her breathing laboured as her hands were gripping onto me tightly.

"Hmm," I said, interested and horribly turned on. "Why would you want that?" My fingers never ceased their movements and Bella continued to struggle, holding herself up as I tested her will power. I knew she would crack sooner or later.

"God..." She breathed, her ass brushing against the front of my pants, feeling my erection as it twitched with the contact. She turned her head and her eyes met mine – lust-filled and crazed with passion. She bit her lip, eyes darting to my mouth frantically, telling me she was enjoying her torture. I was teasing her and testing her, and I could see it in her eyes and on her face that it was working.

"What do you want Bella?" I asked, her sweet and spicy breath intoxicating me as she exhaled; her full, pouty, strawberry tasting lips looking absolutely delicious. She whimpered again, my fingers sliding right along the dripping wet folds, but not anywhere close to where she wanted.

"I want you to touch me," she whispered, her mouth barely ghosting across mine. I smirked at her and she tugged at my bottom lip with her teeth, eliciting an aroused groan from me. "Please," she begged against my mouth.

_Ah...finally. _

She had teased me at dinner, and I intended to tease her right back – but now I couldn't hold on anymore. The minute she _begged_ me to touch her it was goodbye rational Edward, hello horny Edward.

I dropped my fingers down to where her entrance was, circling around her as I let my fingers become slick and moist. Without another thought I plunged two fingers into her, a small cry of pleasure falling from Bella's lips when I combined that with brushing my thumb along her clit. Her grip on my hair tightened and she brought her hand behind her, sliding it up and down the length of my dick, causing me to bite down on her neck.

"Fuck," she whispered, pushing herself away from me. What the hell? "Too many clothes."

Uh...yeah okay, I agreed.

I slid my hands underneath her long, beautiful mane of hair, finding the large bow that secured the dress around her neck. I tugged on it, watching as the material dropped, exposing Bella's soft and perfect breasts in all their glory. I think – if it were possible – that my dick hardened even more at the sight.

I ran my hands down her body, my thumbs gliding across her perky breasts and puckered nipples. She moaned as I traveled further, exposing more of her skin as the dress was falling lower and lower with each pass of my hands. My cock throbbed at the sight of the lacy, black underwear she was wearing as they rode low on her hips, the material almost see-through. Fuck, I could have ripped the damn things from her body I was so worked up right now.

Instead of tearing through the skimpy, lacy material I slid the dress down her legs, kissing each thigh, my lips lingering on the scar of her left leg. She massaged her fingers into my scalp, and when I looked up she was serene. I was so glad she was over what had happened to her, she said she barely dreamt about it at all anymore. I peppered her leg with a few more kisses, the dress falling to the floor as she stepped out, those fucking heels all perfect and sexy as she backed up to the bed.

I took off my suit jacket immediately, not caring where it went only knowing that it needed to go. I started undoing the buttons of my dress shirt, and _fuck _buttons. Seriously, I needed to find out who the shit decided that buttons were a good idea because they clearly never had themselves in a situation like this before. Buttons were such a hassle, and kept me from pouncing on Bella right this second – which was something I desperately wanted to do.

"Just rip the damn thing," Bella said breathlessly, sitting down on the bed in the sexiest position I had ever seen. Her legs were spread and her high heeled feet were firmly planted on the floor. Her back was straight and she was delicately stroking each of her thighs with her hands, and I swear to god I could have ripped every single piece of clothing I was wearing to shreds. This was, unfortunately, an expensive suit that I didn't care to ruin.

"It's an expensive shirt," I grumbled, working my way down still. I watched as Bella quirked an eyebrow.

"Now there's a mood killer," she remarked back.

_Oh no she did not just – _

I growled and ripped the last few buttons off as I tore the shirt open, discarding it and the tie before I wrapped an arm around Bella, her face shocked and impressed as I gripped her entire body with one arm.

"What was that?" I asked her, my nose sliding along the length of her face while she tried to suppress her moan. She didn't respond, just brought her hands to my belt, tugging relentlessly as she struggled to get it opened. "That's what I thought."

I heard her whimper and suddenly she wasn't going fast enough. I helped her get the belt off and pants undone, sending the rest of my clothing to the floor before I even had a second thought. I made _very _quick work of her panties, trying with care not to rip them as I was more than eager to get them off.

"Oh god...fuck," I whispered, looking down the length of our naked bodies to finally see Bella in nothing but the god damn silver high heels. My mind hadn't done this vision justice, not by a long shot. "You have to wear heels more often." I tore my eyes away from the heavenly sight below me, dragging them back up to meet Bella's. She smirked and dug her fingernails into my back a little.

"How about next time I wear blue ones?" She whispered back, leaning up to bite on my lip. I groaned and lunged for her mouth, sliding my tongue against hers, tasting everything from the strawberry lip gloss to the delicious taste of Bella's saliva. I reached down and curled my hand around Bella's thigh, hitching it over my hip to feel the gruff material of the high heels digging into my ass.

Rather than feeling discomfort it added to my arousal, making it nearly impossible for me to hold back now. I began sliding my fingers in and out of Bella again; working myself up to a fury as her erotic noises only pushed me to go faster – just the way she wanted.

"Edward," she gasped, her breath hot against my face. "Please."

_God, there she goes with the begging again. _

"What do you want, love?" I asked her, pumping my fingers in again, going slower this time as I awaited her response. She moaned and her frantic fingers found my hair, tugging lightly as she tightened her leg around my hip.

"I want you inside of me," she replied, lifting her hips from the bed and connecting them with mine. Your wish is my command, Bella.

I removed my hand and spread her legs wider, my erection sliding along the wet and warmth of Bella before I couldn't help myself and pounded into her, a desperate moan escaping her mouth while a throaty moan escaped mine.

I buried my face in the crook of her neck, supporting myself with one hand while my other explored her sides and chest, relishing in the feel of her body as I thrusted into her, wondering how in the hell I ever lived without her.

The way Bella made me feel when we were together wasn't like anything I'd ever experienced in my life. She made me feel like me, more than anything I felt like I could be myself. She was this person who could ignite so many feelings within me and bring out the best in me as well. In simple words, as corny as it is, she practically completed me. My Lego reference seems viable in my head, but nothing can describe the way it actually is, there are no words to express what she does to me.

"Oh, god..." Bella moaned, her high-heel clad foot digging into my ass rougher than it had before. I groaned at the blissful mixture of pleasure and pain, needing to somehow fuse myself with more of her because it wasn't enough.

I pulled out and got off the bed, dragging Bella by the hips until she was at the very edge, the divine vision of her spread legs and high heels being the only thing I could focus on. I stood and ran my hands down her legs, pulling her a little bit more by the ankles until she was practically hanging off the bed. I hooked her legs on my hips and wrapped my hands around hers, only pausing for a brief moment before I penetrated her once more, sliding in so far I felt my legs shake.

"Edward..." Bella moaned, gripping onto the sheets and her hair as I brought her even more sensations with this new angle.

I could feel myself getting close already, filling Bella so completely, listening to her moaning and writhing in pleasure on her bed. The image of her bare breasts bouncing lightly with each thrust as I looked down was the only thing my eyes could take in – she couldn't have looked sexier if she tried.

"So close..." She breathed, the knuckles of both her hands turning white with how hard she was balling them into fists. "Fuck."

"Me too," I panted, finding myself thrusting harder as she moaned loudly. I swear the whole floor could hear us fucking, I wouldn't be surprised if it was brought up at the next floor meeting.

"I won't....ugh, can – you touch, me?" She asked, her words a jumbled and almost incoherent mess.

"Can't," I said, shaking my head a tiny bit as I gripped her naked hips tighter, pulling her closer to me coupled with a thrust. "I'd...drop you." Bella's hand left her hair and she bit her lip.

Before I could register what she was doing Bella started to touch herself, her long fingers stroking her clit while I pounded into her from above. I groaned at the sight, allowing myself a few final, shallow thrusts as I found my release, my legs wobbling dangerously as I held on to Bella's hips for most of my support. She finished seconds after, her sexy, throaty moan of pleasure resounding in the room, reverberating off the walls.

I watched her as she came down from her orgasm, her sultry eyes opening to look up at me. I was still holding onto her hips roughly, allowing my balance to come back as I pulled out of her, gently placing her feet back on the ground, still clad in the sexy as fuck high heels. Bella bit her lip again and ran her hand through her hair, brushing the erratic locks out of her eyes, splaying it across the bed.

She tilted her head and looked back at me, a more than satisfied smile coming on her face – an 'I just got fucked, and I liked it' look coming on her face. I smirked back, numbness and weakness spreading through my legs. Bella leant up and grabbed my hand, moving up the bed as I joined her. She contorted her body and pulled the comforter from underneath her, covering the both of us as I found her lips and kissed her.

It wasn't an urgent kiss, or one full of need and want. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer, smiling against my mouth when we parted. Her deep, brown eyes opened, connecting instantly with mine, shining brightly in the dull light of the room. She brushed her nose along mine, grinning and giggling adorably as she sighed, her hot breath smothering me.

"I take it you liked the shoes?" Bella whispered softly, running her fingers through my hair. I felt like I wanted to meow at the sensation, it was truly relaxing. My eyes rolled back in my head at Bella's fingers, and of the recollection of the way she looked with those heels on.

"Bella..." I said with a devilish smirk, "I _loved _the shoes."

_Oh, and I almost forgot... thank you, Alice. _

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**A/N: **Thoughts! I love to hear them. Only two more chapters to do so! It's really insightful as a writer to find out what the readers are thinking, it's helpful as well.

The LOTR are awesome movies, I myself enjoyed them. The scene I was referring to that Rosalie quoted is when Arwen and Aragorn are speaking, and she gives him her pendant, saying she wants a mortal life. CUTE AS HELL. Anyways, that's where I got the idea from, and when Rosalie is speaking to Emmett after he opens the present, they are both quoting the movie (that's why it's italicized)

I will put links on my profile of the dresses that each of the girls wore, they should be up soon, take a look if you want.

Anyways, you know I love when you guys review, leave me some love! It was just my birthday, make me happy : )


	31. Memories

**A/N: **Alright, you all knew it would be a longer wait, and hopefully it's worth it because these next two chapters are my longest yet.

I hope nobody's gotten impatient while I took my time finding the perfect end to this story. I knew what I wanted to do, just didn't want to mess it up. So thank you everyone for being patient with me!

I've been busy lately, beta'ing a few fics and having 2 on the go. I've also recently entered the Summer of Smut contest. If any of you enjoy reading smut, or anything smut related, I would suggest reading my entry 'Captive of a Bartender'. So far people like it. Also, another entry entitled 'Free From Desire' by Claire Bloom will be up in a few days - it too is great.

I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to actually stick with me this ENTIRE time. Really, you're all too amazing. And you reviewers, a million times THANK YOU. I love hearing everything you guys have to say, and thanks clancy119, again, for being a constant reviewer, as well as xobee.

Hope this is worth the wait, and next chapter will be up in a few days. I was going to post on the same day, but I would like time for this to sink in before I hit you guys with the finale.

I would also like to ask everyone to just let me have it. Let me know what you think, and I'd love to see this story hit 100 reviews by the time I'm done. If not, then I hope you enjoyed the story, and thanks for reading : )

This one is all in BPOV, and next chapter I will begin with Edward, and end with Bella. It seems fitting that I start and end with her.

P.S: longest chapter yet.

Enjoy!

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B.P.O.V

It had been a month since Emmett's birthday, each passing day like a whirlwind as I could barely recall them going by so fast. I was too busy being swept up in school, friends, and Edward that what day it was seemed too trivial a piece of information to take into consideration. But here I was, more than halfway through my second semester of college, not even knowing where all the time had gone since I'd been back here from Christmas break.

I lay on my bed, absently tapping my pen against my full notebook as I tried to write my essay. I had been doing this a lot lately, well over the past few weeks really. Since Valentine's Day I had been unable to think of anything but Edward whenever I wasn't with him. I tried, really I did, but even my uber important essay wasn't enough reason for me to stop thinking about him.

"_Seriously, last Valentines' Day was bad enough, I'd just rather do nothing," I told Edward, leaning across the table to steal another French fry. _

"_But Bella you know it won't be the same," he retorted. I looked up as I chewed, seeing his green eyes as they pleaded with me to understand. "I'm not Mike..." I watched with agony as his face fell, he was acting like I didn't trust him._

"_Edward I know you're not," I said to him, taking his fidgeting hand off the table. "But I don't want to do anything extravagant; I mean we can still hang out, just...nothing fancy, please." He blinked a few times, but nodded. He said he wanted to take me out, for a romantic evening that I deserved. I had protested heavily; last Valentine's Day was my number one reason for saying no. That experience still tainted things for me._

"_Then we'll just stay in," he said with a tight smile. I felt horrible for refusing him what he wanted, but I didn't want to go out. I hoped he understood._

_It was still a few days until the 'day of love' and after that conversation Edward had been a little glum. He was sulking. I tried to comfort him and he would smile and laugh, but nothing that ever touched his eyes or made them gleam. My heart kept wrenching, telling myself that I was the reason the fire had died within those eyes; it was my fault for saying no to some big, romantic date._

_As the day came around I hadn't yet seen Edward. It was a Tuesday, and I had class until five, so when I got back to my room there was nobody there. Alice had sent me a text saying that she and Jasper were going out for an evening that he had planned. I was going to stop by Edward's room, but had decided to first take my stuff back to my own room._

_I felt a vibration coming from my pocket and when I pulled it out Edward's name flashed across the screen._

"_Hey," I greeted happily. _

"_Hey," he replied. "Happy Valentine's Day."_

"_Yeah," I said with a laugh, "you too. So what's the plan for tonight?"_

"_I was just thinking you can come here and we can hang out, watch movies or something." I smirked._

"_Watch movies eh?" Was that his code word for sex?_

"_If you want," he said nonchalantly. "I'm not picking though," he added with a chuckle. Seriously...he really wants to watch movies?_

"_Okay..." I said, knitting my brows together. "When do you want me over?"_

"_Whenever you're ready, just come over. I'm here."_

"_I'll be there in ten, I love you."_

"_Love you too."_

_I had hung up the phone and placed it on my bed, feeling a little sick as I still felt horrible for telling him no to his plans for today. He hadn't been himself since then, and he was acting all out of sorts. I _needed _to make it better._

_I got up on a mission. I had bought that slutty, skimpy, black set of lingerie from Victoria's Secret, but hadn't yet worn it for Edward. I was actually beginning to wonder if he had forgotten about it. I went into my closet and took it out, still in the bag with the tags on it. I ripped the tags off carefully, placing the outfit down on my bed, looking at it with concern. I was going to look ridiculous._

_I shed my clothes quickly, putting on the push up bra, feeling my breasts as they mashed together to give me some mad cleavage. I smirked and adjusted myself, wondering how I was even breathing with how tight the bra felt. Next I slid on the underwear, only half my ass covered because the material cut straight across each cheek. I attached the garters to the underwear, shaking my head as I did so, still not a clue in the world if I was doing this right._

Where the hell is Alice when I need her?

_Once the garters looked right I stood and went to Alice's mirror, pulling it down to examine myself. My eyes went wide as I stared at my reflection; the bra, panty, and garter combination making me feel even sexier than I looked. Okay...Edward would _definitely _feel better after tonight. I adjusted the garters and the underwear so I was comfortable before I went and put my clothes back on. Instead of putting on my jeans I threw on a skirt. I hated to wear skirts at all now, after _everything _that happened, but I was only going to Edward's. I knew wearing a skirt would play right into my hand, rather than striking against me._

_I touched up my make-up a tiny bit and ran my fingers through my hair, declaring that it was hopeless before rushing out the door with my phone and keys in hand. I was in front of Edward's door in seconds, knocking shyly as I was nervous about him seeing me in my VS purchase. I heard him coming to the door, but rather than opening it he spoke to me through it._

"_Bella..."_

"_Yes?" I answered back. Was he expecting someone else?_

"_Close your eyes please," he said to me. I furrowed my brows._

"_Why?"_

"_Just please, do it," he begged through the door. _

"_Okay," I agreed, closing my eyes like he instructed. I heard the door open and felt Edward's arms around my shoulders. "Can I open them?"_

"_No, not yet," he said, his tone betraying any sort of nonchalance he was trying to display. Something was up. He pulled me in the room and an assortment of smells assaulted my nostrils. _

_I could detect food, and lavender, and freesia, and candles..._

_My heart reacted; it sped, thumped, flipped, did acrobatic tricks._

"_Edward..." My eyes were still closed, but that he had gone ahead and done something for me on Valentine's Day was obvious. I could smell each different fragrance._

"_Bella I wanted to do something for you," he told me, standing behind me as he brushed the hair away from my neck. "Since you aren't letting me take you out..."_

_He kissed the side of my neck, gliding his lips back and forth as my eyelids fluttered, desperate to open and see what the hell he had done._

"_Open your eyes," he commanded. I did as he said; my eyes were struck with awe at the sight of his room. Hundreds of tea light candles littered the room, the tiny flickering lights dancing gently with each other. He had them all over; his desk, Jazz's desk, the floor, the ledge above his bed....everywhere. _

_I was speechless._

_Along with the candles, there were hundreds of flower petals strewn across the room as well; mainly on his bed and on the floor. They weren't rose petals, and from the smell I could deduce that they were petals from a freesia. _

_In between Edward and Jasper's beds is the last thing that caught my attention. He had a blanket set up; dinner for two and a bottle of champagne neatly organized. I put my hand over my mouth, only then feeling the silent tears that had fallen from my eyes. He had done all of this...for me. I had refused him the one thing he asked me and yet here he was, giving me a romantic Valentine's Day because I hadn't wanted to do anything extravagant. _

"_So...?" Edward asked tentatively, kissing the spot on my neck where my pulse was beating erratically. _

"_Edward..." I said, shaking my head. "You sh – shouldn't have." He chuckled seductively in my ear, giving me goose bumps._

"_You couldn't expect me to sit here and do nothing for Valentine's Day," he told me, kissing my throat again. He was back to his old self again; it was because of this. He was trying to hide it from me._

"_How long have you been planning this?" I asked, turning in his arms to see his sexy dishevelled hair and his piercing green eyes._

"_Since you said you didn't want to do anything," he said with a grin._

"_Is that why you've been...weird?"_

"_Yes," he admitted. "I know half the time you can read me like an open book. So rather than seeming eager or excited I tried to act put off. I'm sorry if you thought I was mad at you." I smiled despite my silly tears._

"_I can't believe you did this," I told him, putting a hand to his chest. He put his hand on top of mine and smiled._

"_You should know by now that I'd do anything for you..."_

Just as I was getting to the _really _good part of that memory Alice burst through our door, dropping to her knees. Her hair was in eighteen different states of erratic as her bag thumped to the floor, books and pens spilling out, rolling and sliding away from her.

"Alice!" I hopped off my bed, nearly falling as I went to her side, her tiny frame shaking from cold and tears. "Alice, what's wrong?" I pulled her up, sitting her on her ass, pushing the hair away from her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, her lips cracked from the cold. "Alice...please, tell me what's wrong."

She sniffled, swiping her mitten-clad hand across her cheeks, her mascara running down them in a thick, black line.

"M...guh," she choked. "How...can I sw – switch classes now?"

"What?" I asked her, confusion washing over me. Where the hell was Jasper? I needed him ASAP. "Alice, what is wrong?" I begged her; watching her breaking down like this wasn't normal.

"Is it...am I too la – late?" I closed my eyes tightly, pinching the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger.

"Alice, too late for what?" I asked, opening my eyes to find her staring at me.

"He touched me..." She whispered. I think I choked on my own breath. "Cornered me..." She started shaking again, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Honey, Alice...who?" I asked, trying to keep my own tears at bay. Someone had done that to my best friend? She wasn't even five feet tall for Christ's sake!

"Steve..." She gasped. My anger and hurt fumed. Her TA was dead. I would make sure of it. I got up and passed Alice a box of tissues before I picked up my phone. I dialled Jasper's number quickly, almost hanging up before he finally answered.

"Hey there Bells, where are you two, Edward and I are waiting?" He told me. I furrowed my brows.

"Where?"

"Commons. Alice said she was going to get you and then come here, she told me earlier today," he said confusedly.

"Jasper...something happened. Alice isn't okay, I don't know what's wrong, but it has to do with her TA," I said quietly, trying to keep my conversation out of earshot of her. "Jasper?" I asked when he didn't respond.

"Is...is she with you?" He asked, anger lacing his voice. I had _never _heard Jasper angry before.

"Yes," I immediately responded. "We're in our room." He didn't say bye, but when I heard the dial tone I knew he was on his way. I paced my breathing, going back over to Alice who was on the floor, crying and using up all the tissues in the box.

"I want...to switch classes," she said with a sniffle. "Can't...can't do it anymore." She shook her head, crying. I blinked and my tears started too – seeing her in pain was just as bad as my own.

"We'll do that, okay?" I said with a reassuring smile. "We'll get you out of that class." She nodded her little head and sobbed again. I wrapped my arms around her neck and held her to me, rubbing a soothing pattern on her back. She tightened her hold on me when a knock sounded on the door. I beckoned for them to come in and Jasper's face when he saw Alice on the floor was too much for me to handle. I let her go and got up, going over to my bed as I cried even harder.

I felt the familiar arms wrap around my waist before my legs gave out and I fell into him, listening to his voice as it calmed me down. He pulled me tightly to his chest and I gulped in his scent, feeling my nerves calming already, even if I was still crying. He sat down on my bed and I sat on his lap, relishing in the way his long, slender fingers ran through my hair, sorting out the mess that was there.

"Its okay, Alice is okay," he assured me quietly. He kissed my temple and made another pass of his fingers through my hair while my breathing started to calm down. "She's okay." I nodded my head against his chest, staining the red shirt with my tears.

"Sorry," I mumbled, wiping my hand over the spot that I had dampened. He took my hand in his and stopped my movements, and when he did I looked up at him. His sharp, elegant features were tormented, skewed because of what Alice was going through.

"Bella, stop. Its fine, you need to calm down love," he said with a forced smile. He kissed the back of my hand as I swallowed noticeably, turning around in his arms to see Alice curled into Jasper's chest. Her coat was off, along with her mittens and boots, and now she was huddled, cowering away from anything that wasn't him.

_Why her? _

Why did something sick and twisted have to happen to her too? I knew what it was like to be subjected to something so horrible...so disgusting. It was degrading and emotionally draining, knowing you were the object of someone's repulsive desires. It was the worst form of torture, being held there against your will, struggling against something you couldn't escape. If I'd had enemies, I knew I wouldn't even wish something like that on them; nobody should ever have to feel something like that.

It just wasn't right.

"Why?" I croaked. I sniffled and wiped away the dried tears. "Why...why her too?"

"I don't know, love," Edward answered, cradling me still. "I don't know who in their right mind could ever harm you or Alice." He shook his head and I looked back to him. Tears were welled up in his sad green eyes, making the tears spill over mine once again. "I...I promise, I'll do my best. I'll never let anything bad happen, to either of you, ever again." He searched my face, intent on holding my gaze as I nodded my head.

"I believe you," I whispered, letting my head fall to his chest while the tears flowed freely. I wasn't sure how long we all sat there, silence deafening us, but before long I could hear Alice's lulling breaths as she slept. I pulled my head off Edward's chest; my cheeks and eyes dried of the tears, and I turned back around to see Jasper on the floor with Alice's sleeping form in his arms. He was looking down at her, his warm, green eyes colder somehow as his brows mashed together.

"Did she say anything to you?" He asked in a strained voice. He shifted his gaze to me; apparently it was obvious we had been looking at them. Jasper's expression killed me, and all I had in me was to nod. I cleared my throat after, hoping that what little I did know would somehow help.

"She said he...cornered her, touched her," I told him, shaking my head. "She wanted out of that class, wanted to know if she could still switch." I watched Jasper's jaw as it tensed and he nodded, looking back down to Alice.

"I'll take her tomorrow to get it switched," he said absently, stroking the side of Alice's face with pure affection. "I don't care if it is a day after deadline." Shit...that's right, the last day to switch out of classes was yesterday.

"She'll get out of it," Edward said assuredly. "She can't go back."

I shook my head. "I won't let her," I said so matter-of-factly. "She can fail, but she's not going back."

"I won't let her either," Jasper said, "its not like she'll even want to." He sighed, his tightened brows relaxing. "I'm going to take her to our room so she can have some peace and quiet, I'll let you know when she wakes up, okay?"

"Okay," I breathed. I was just happy that Alice was okay, that nothing bad had happened to her; at least not something as bad as what happened to me. I couldn't imagine sitting here, watching my best friend as the pain and recollection of what happened to her damaged her so bad she cried and shook and threw up.

I knew what Alice felt like now.

Telling me all those things, about trying to be reasonable, letting people help me when I was helpless. If she was hurt right now I would be there, helping her if she was struggling; she was more than a sister would ever mean to me, I wouldn't be able to sit here and watch her suffer. I could understand that now.

Jasper stood with Alice in his arms and Edward stood up too, placing me on the bed gently before going to the door and opening it for him. He left with Alice and Jasper and returned a few seconds later, I assume he had gone with them to open the door as well. When he came back he wore the same expression he had on earlier – tortured, pained. I was on my bed, legs to my chest, head rested on my knees.

"She's going to be okay," Edward said to me. I looked up from the spot my eyes had been transfixed on, watching him as he came over to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it.

"I know..." I agreed. "But...just the thought of something else – something bad." I shook my head. "I can't even think about it."

"Then don't," Edward told me, coming up beside me and taking me in his arms once again. "Don't think like that. Alice will be okay, she doesn't seem physically hurt."

"But mentally, emotionally...she has to be suffering. Something like that just doesn't leave you," I said, looking up to him.

"I know, love," he agreed, leaning down to kiss my forehead. "Hopefully in time she'll be okay though. She's Alice, she'll be fine." He smiled, trying to lighten my mood. I gave him a small smile back; if anything Alice was tough, a fighter. I knew she could bounce back from anything.

"I hope so," I replied.

---

"God, three more weeks and we're out of here," Alice said with a grin. She had been better lately, laughing like her usual self once again. I couldn't help but smile back; she was finally on track after her incident a month ago. It hadn't been as bad as I thought.

Physically Steve had grabbed her by the wrists, pinning her to the back of the classroom after everyone else had filed out. She had a little bruising that lasted for a week, but other than that it wasn't much. He held her face in his hands too, forcing her to look at him.

Other than that all he did was talk to her, telling her she was such a cock-tease for dressing the way she did, saying the things she said to him. He also told her what he would do to her...the things she told me were repulsive, and a few times during her explanation Jasper got up and left. Alice said she had no clue what came over him, one second the class had ended, and the next she was against the wall, struggling to keep the vomit in her stomach.

After that the next class started to file in and he let her go immediately. She told us she slapped him across the face and ran for it, not stopping until she was back in the room. I was glad nothing truly damaging happened to her; I mean sure it was bad, but they were just words, and Alice knew none of it was true.

"I don't think I've ever wanted to go home so bad," Alice chuckled.

"I'm so freaking happy to go back home," I said with a smirk, sitting up on my bed to look over at her, perched on the edge of her own bed. "This year has been brutal, you know, minus meeting everyone and all." She nodded.

"I know what you mean."

She got up and went to her desk, turning on her laptop while I lied back down on mine, writing the outline for my _final _essay of the year. I was more than happy to finish this semester. I just wanted to go home and spend the rest of the summer working, hanging out with friends, spending time with my new family, and of course hanging out with Edward. Alice was spending the first month in Texas with Jasper and his family, but they were both coming back in June for the wedding.

I had talked to Charlie a few weeks back, and we had spoken of the wedding. He told me he wanted me to ask if Edward's parents were able to make it as well, considering he had wanted to meet them. He knew that I loved Edward; he could tell that when I was around him I was just...whole. He said he would love it if he could meet them, so the day after Edward called Carlisle and Esme. They happily agreed to attend the wedding, and I laughed when Esme got all nervous about what she should wear.

Needless to say I was eager to get home.

"Next year's going to be so much better," Alice mumbled, clicking away on her mouse as I found myself aimlessly tapping my pencil against the paper.

"Agreed," I lazily replied. "Our own house...it's going to be so much better."

"Yeah, and we have to make a decision soon, eh? I mean, school's almost ending, we have to give _someone _an answer." Oh, right. Quite a few more people had called since we'd posted our ads up around the school. I had met with a few of them, and a lot of them were female applicants – something none of us were too keen on accepting. So far this Dean guy that Jasper had met with seemed like the one we were going to choose. Another guy in the running was someone named Felix. We weren't sure who to go with, and since Jasper was the one who met with both of them we were kind of leaving it up to him.

"Well have you talked to Jasper about it; he's the only one who's met them?" I said with a laugh.

"Jazz said he liked Dean from the start. He thinks Felix is a little strange, sort of whimsical." I furrowed my brows – please tell me we aren't choosing some freaky, cult-loving psycho for our roommate.

"Ha, uh...well I don't know. I guess whoever Jasper likes we will like. I can't see us not getting along with Dean, he sounds kind of like Emmett from the way Edward described him," I told her with a shrug.

"Yeah," Alice replied, typing now. "I'm getting really excited actually. We should make a decision soon, like today." I giggled – always the eager one, doing things way earlier than she needs to.

"Well you talk to Jasper and we'll all make a decision."

Alice turned around in her seat and smiled, closing the top of her computer without looking.

"Then let's go now," she told me. I shrugged.

"Okay."

We got up and left the room, heading to Edward and Jasper's. Each of us was using today for studying and finishing projects. Throughout the entire semester I had more than put off assignments because I was too busy...hanging out...with Edward. So today I was scrambling to write an essay that was due in five days – I should have had at least an outline done by now.

Alice knocked on the door, bouncing next to me – something that I had missed this past month. She was a lot happier, and I was glad. Seeing the pixie without her wings just wasn't natural, it wasn't normal. Seeing her chipper and smiling was refreshing, I had missed her brightness so much.

"Hey there ladies," Jasper answered with a grin. "To what do we owe the pleasure?" Jasper had been better too, helping Alice sort through everything once that day passed. She had the class switched, and next year she was going to have to make up for it by adding another course to her already full schedule.

"We want to pick a roommate," Alice declared, standing up on her toes to peck Jasper on the cheek. "Now." Jasper chuckled.

"Sure darlin'," he said with a shake of his head. He ushered us in and I found Edward sitting on his bed, back against his corkboard with a notebook in his lap. Sometimes we were so alike. I walked over to him, watching as he gazed lazily back at me. From around his head pictures peeked back at me – pictures of me and Alice, pictures of him and Jasper, pictures of all of us, pictures of just us. I had put my new camera to good use this past semester, making sure Renee wouldn't be disappointed with my scrapbook.

"Alice couldn't wait to choose a roommate?" Edward asked with a grin, setting his notebook beside him on the bed.

"I suppose not," I said with a shrug, climbing on the bed to sit next to him. "How's the essay going?" He rolled his eyes.

"Well if you call me sitting here, drumming my pen against my notebook progress then I've been flying through this essay," he replied sarcastically. "I can't concentrate."

"Me neither," I told him with a frown, "its taking me a lot longer than I wanted it to."

"Okay!" Alice said, making me turn my attention away from Edward. She was sitting on the edge of Jasper's bed, her little hands clasped together while Jasper sat next to her. "Edward, who do you think we should pick? Do you want to just do a vote? I don't know what to do..." Alice rambled. I giggled, and watched as Edward shook his head.

"It doesn't really matter to me, my vote is for Dean, Felix seems a little strange from what Jazz told me," he said, giving Alice my favourite smile.

"He kind of is," Jasper told us. "A little shady for my taste." I laughed again.

"Then Dean...?" I asked because it seemed to be the conclusion we were coming to. Edward, Alice, and Jasper all made sounds of agreement, shrugging and nodding along with my assumption.

"Alright then, sounds good. I'll call him now." Jasper stood and pulled his phone from his pocket before going into the hall.

"Well that was easy," Alice remarked. "Do you realize in like...five months we'll get our own house!" She erupted in a fit of giggles, and I started to laugh, more at her than anything.

"I can't wait," Edward said, draping his arm across my shoulder. He hugged me to him and I smiled myself retarded, feeling a faint warmth crossing my cheeks for some ridiculous reason. Edward had told me for the past few months how he couldn't wait to live with me finally – if the fact that I _would _be living him in a matter of months wasn't enough, he had to go and tell me how badly he wanted it too. I was counting down the days until we could live under the same roof, sharing the same bed and doing the dishes together.

"Okay, done deal," Jasper said, the door closing shut once he was in. "He wanted to meet all of us before school ends, so I told him we'd call him towards the end of semester when exams are over before we go home. So there, we don't have to worry about that anymore, do we?" His question was directed at Alice. She shook her head and smiled, blowing him a kiss from her spot on his bed. He smirked at her and reclaimed his spot at her side, the four of us sitting there, obviously not wanting to go back to our respective studies.

I wanted to burn my notebook, just for some excuse as to why I couldn't write this essay. _That's _how badly I didn't want to write it.

"We should go back," Alice said to me, "those essays won't write themselves." I rolled my eyes, and felt Edward's fingers lightly tracing a line up and down my arm.

_Not helping, _I grumbled in my head.

"What if they did? You'd feel pretty silly if we went back and they were done," I said with a grin. "Come on Al...we've been sitting there all day, and honestly, I haven't been able to concentrate on anything."

"All the more reason to go write them, you don't have very much done." I huffed. God damn pixie; you give her back her wings and she retaliates with a vengeance.

"Fine," I growled. I turned and looked up to Edward, the same glum and annoyed look on his face too. He knew Alice was right – like she usually was – and he also knew that he had to get his done as well. "Can we please hang out tonight?"

Ah, my beautiful, sexy, crooked smile.

"Of course, you adorably silly girl," he replied. "Spend the night?" I pretended to think about it, when all I really wanted to do was shout 'yes' at the top of my lungs.

"I guess so," I answered with a roll of my eyes. He tapped me lightly on the shoulder. "I'll be back later, okay?" He nodded and leant down to kiss me. It was soft and gentle, and the warmth his lips emitted was so comfortable and familiar I didn't want to pull away. I felt his hand cup my cheek, his fingers tenderly caressing the underside of my chin.

"Edward, as much as I would hate to interrupt this, Bella needs to get going," Alice said amusedly. I felt him smile against my lips as he pulled away.

"As much as I love you Alice, there are some times that I could just bind you to a chair and slap a piece of duct tape over your mouth," he replied. My face flushed, the heat creeping back up as I looked at Alice.

"Ha, ha, very funny Edward," Alice said with a sarcastic roll of her eyes. "I'm serious though, we should go. I promise Bella will come back later wearing that outfit I made her buy." She winked at Edward and my face exploded in what I'm sure was a ridiculous amount of red. I started feeling extremely hot.

"Alice!" I shrieked. "Oh god...maybe we should tie you to a chair and gag you." I put both my hands on my cheeks to try to cool them down. She giggled and pulled on my hand, trying to get me off the bed. I got up and she let go; I turned back around to Edward who had shuffled to the edge of the bed, his feet on the floor and his hands rested on his thighs.

"I'll be back later," I said quietly, biting my lip as I was still embarrassed. He grinned at me and reached out for one of my hands to pull me closer. He curled in the forefinger of his left hand, and I leant down as he held his mouth next to my ear.

"Whether you wear that or not, I promise tonight will be worth it," he whispered, sending a rush of excitement to every nerve ending in my body. He pulled back a bit and his bright, dazzling eyes studied my horribly pink, blotchy face.

"You promise?" I croaked out. He grinned and nodded his head.

"Pinkie swear," he said to me, holding out his middle finger instead of his pinkie. _Those are the ones that swore. _I laced my middle finger with his and he kissed the spot where they met, releasing my finger just as Alice was starting to get impatient.

"If you want to fail stay here," she said, drumming her fingers against the door.

"Okay, okay, Alice. I'm coming." I gently kissed Edward on the lips before scurrying over to the door and leaving with Alice. So relentless she was. When we back in our room Alice went over to her desk and brought her laptop to life again. I decided that writing out my essay just wasn't working for me, and went over to my desk as well, turning on my laptop so as to speed this process up. I would be lucky to even get the main gist of this thing done with the promise Edward had made to me repeating itself in my mind.

Two and a half hours later I was blankly staring at the screen, my fingers aching from how much I had managed to type. I successfully perfected the first three paragraphs of my essay, which is a lot more than I had even planned on accomplishing. Sighing in relief I saved the document and turned off my laptop, listening to Alice as she still typed away, most likely done six essays by now – she had been non-stop the entire time.

"Are you done?" Alice asked.

"Uh, no, just the first three paragraphs, and that's good enough for now." She stopped typing and clicked her mouse, shutting her laptop off as well.

"I'm done," she said with a smile. I gaped at her.

"Your _entire _essay?" I asked with shock. She nodded.

"Yep, the whole thing. I'm so happy to be done it, now I can just relax," she replied with even more relief than I was displaying. I wished mine was done, but I still had time, and I was happy with what I had so far.

"You are insane," I remarked, "unbelievable." She stood up and stretched, arching her back so I could hear the bones as they cracked. I felt a shudder roll through me – I hated listening to that sound.

"Ew, Alice, that doesn't sound good," I told her, standing up to stretch my cramped legs. She giggled and went over to her closet, pulling out her shoes to put them on.

"Well it feels great; I don't care how gross it sounds. I'm going to go get Jazz and probably get dinner. Are you and Edward joining us...or will you be otherwise occupied?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow. I definitely blushed at her again.

"I think we'll be joining you," I told her, fuming red as I went to my closet. I don't know why I always blushed at references of Edward and I having sex, it got me every time though. I always turned the colour of a fire engine whenever someone mentioned my sexual activity. I couldn't help it.

After I put on a pair of sneakers we went back to the guys' room and got them before heading to Commons. Edward and Jasper were joking around on the way there and Alice and I were laughing while they play-wrestled in the tunnel. People kind of stared at us, but it didn't bother us. Alice and I would laugh and say sorry to them as Jasper and Edward continued to act borderline retarded.

"Mi-AMI, Mi-AMI, Mi-AMI, well every hour on the hour," Jasper sang, taking the steps two at a time. Edward laughed and joined in.

"You have to, you just have to, trust me," they continued. Alice and I were both red as our boyfriends danced and sang up the stairs. Would they notice if we just ditched them? I was starting to think about bolting as more people began looking at us.

"We could totally leave and they wouldn't even know," I whispered to Alice. She threw her head back in laughter and nodded.

"I know, they would be singing there like idiots on their own," she chuckled back. "Hey, what are you guys singing?" I laughed. They stopped singing and looked at each other.

"Unhand me, god damn me, Miami!" Jasper belted. "I think it's called Miami," he told Alice with a laugh.

"So you don't even know what you're singing?" He shrugged.

"It's Taking Back Sunday," I told them. Edward grinned at me and winked. After that Jasper thankfully stopped singing, and Edward dropped back to take my hand. "Decided you should leave the singing to the lead singer of Taking Back Sunday?" I asked playfully. He nudged me in the arm as we passed through the serving area. He stopped at the deli to order something.

"Nah, I think Jazz and I did pretty good though...no?" He said, a bright and familiar glint to his eyes. I smirked, and nodded my head in agreement. Edward wasn't the greatest singer, but I loved when he sang. The voice he sang in was kind of raspy and it was incredibly sexy despite the fact that he couldn't hit certain high and low notes.

After we each got a sandwich and a drink we went to sit down, Alice and Jasper already there with hamburgers and fries. I stole a fry off of Alice's plate and she pouted.

"I'm stealing a bite of your sandwich for that," she told me with narrowed eyes. As I sat down I offered her my sandwich and she took a bite, smiling with her mouth full in appreciation. How I loved her. I honestly don't know what I would have done had Alice's experience been as bad as mine. I would be a wreck if she wasn't okay.

"Hey!" Jessica's voice greeted from behind me. I turned in my seat and smiled at her, noticing that she was kind of dressed up for just coming to Commons.

"Hey Jess, what's with the outfit? I mean, you look really good, are you going out or something?" I asked her as she sat down. A subtle blush fell upon her cheeks, and instantly I knew it must be a date. "Are you going on a date?" She bit her lip and nodded her head. I smiled, although a lot of the time she got on my nerves she wasn't that bad of a person to take in small doses. I hoped whoever she was going out with would be able to put up with her.

"Ooh, what's his name?" Alice asked excitedly. Jasper and Edward were silent, eating their meals while we girls talked of Jessica and her date. We all exchanged awkward glances when she told us his name was Felix. He was apparently in second year and an art major – exactly like the Felix that we had been considering. How much of a coincidence is that?

"I'm really excited," she told us with an uneasy twitch of her fingers. "And kind of nervous, if I'm being honest."

"Jess, don't be nervous," Alice told her with a wave of her hand. "Just be confident, guys _love _girls who are sure of themselves, right Jasper?" I giggled with Jessica when Jasper grinned at Alice.

"Sure doll," he said with a wink. Although I laughed, Alice was right; confidence was important, especially on a first date.

"But seriously Jess," Alice continued, "don't be nervous." Jessica smiled, seeming to be a little less anxious as her fingers weren't shaking anymore. After another few minutes of listening to Jessica gushing excitedly she told us she had to go meet Felix in the student centre. When she left we all looked at each other oddly again; seriously, small enough world? Jessica was going out on a date with someone we had been considering for our roommate.

"Oh my god," Alice said with a nervous look. "Can you imagine if they started to date and we had made _him _our roommate?"

"She would have been there all the time," Edward said with a humourless chuckle.

"I know," I agreed, "I think we just side-stepped a major catastrophe." Edward grinned at me, finishing off the last bites of his sandwich as we all continued to talk. When we were done talking, content and full from our meals, we decided to leave. Edward and I were going back to his room for the night while Alice and Jasper were going to ours.

"Wait, Alice," I said to her. She turned around in the hall right before our room and looked at me funny. I let go of Edward's hand and went over to hug her.

"I just wanted you to know that I'm proud of you," I whispered, "I'm glad you're not letting what happened keep you down like I did." I pulled back and she bit her lip forcefully, nodding and closing her glazed over eyes.

"Thanks Bells," she replied, leaning up to kiss me on the cheek. "I don't know what I would have done without you though." I smiled back, a mutual understanding that our friendship was stronger than it had ever been. "Night." I told her the same and I went back to Edward, mulling over my life as we went into his room.

It was strange, but I was sort of having a moment. One of those reflective periods when you sit there and recall parts of your past, analyzing things and putting them under the microscope; dissecting memories and deriving meaning from everything that happened until that point in your life. I was running over every memory I had with Alice, from the first moment we met, to the summers we spent together, to the night I was in the hospital, up until just now.

She had always been there for me, through thick and thin and down to the wire, and I was there for her too. She was my sister; no doubt about it.

Whether or not we shared the same blood was irrelevant.

"Hey," Edward's voice said to me softly, causing me to look up at him as my blurred gaze met his. "What's wrong?" He asked concernedly, caressing the underside of my chin with his delicate fingers.

"Nothing," I croaked, affectionately rubbing his arm as I pulled away and sat down on his bed. Edward sat down next to me, pulling me tight against his chest as a strong, comforting arm wrapped around me.

"You look like you're going to cry," he pointed out, gently brushing his lips along my temple. My breath stuttered as I inhaled, swallowing audibly and snaking my arm around his waist.

"I just..." I began, tilting my head to look up at him. "I don't know what I'd do without Alice." I dredged up my feelings from a month ago, letting the tears fall as I imagined something truly awful happening to her. "If..."

"Shh," Edward said, pressing his thumb to my lips. "Don't think like that." He shook his head, grazing his fingers along my moist cheeks. "Alice is fine, she'll be fine."

Edward gently rocked me back and forth on the bed, looking down to me as I stared up at him, listening to his words, letting them sink in. The longer he held my gaze the calmer I grew, disbelief unable to penetrate me as he assured me with his serenity.

I believed him now when he told me she'd be okay; just like I believed him a month ago when he told me he'd never let anything bad happen to either of us.

"Everything's going to be alright," he assured one last time before he leant down, drowning my thoughts with his tender lips.

---

"Hey!" I shouted happily, wrapping my arms around Edward's waist, only to feel the chill penetrating my skin to the bone from the cold air of mid April. I pulled back and curled my arms around myself, looking up to Edward as he beamed down at me, nose and cheeks coloured a perfect shade of rose.

"Hi," he said airily, finally able to take a breather as he'd just finished his last exam.

"How was it?" I asked, turning around from the door and getting my own coat. Alice and Jasper had gone ahead of us to meet Dean for lunch. Since it was the second last day of exams Dean needed to get home to New York, and as we were now done exams we would be heading out in the morning. All my bags were packed; the industrial sized suitcase and my small duffle bag were ready to go by my closet.

The room seemed so empty.

Too empty.

Despite everything that happened this year I still couldn't believe it was over. The late night Euchre games and never-ending conversations, the breakfasts and lunches and dinners at Commons.

The independence.

I was more than happy to be going home, but I kept feeling that emptiness deep inside that told me the year had been pivotal for me, and I knew it was true. After all that had been hurled at me, I had persevered and moved on, trying to salvage my time here at Dartmouth and milking it for all it was worth.

While I'd had an overall shitty year, I couldn't say I'd had the worst. Where I had been brutally attacked...I had also been brought to Edward. What made this year all worth while was him. It was the way he knew everything about me, and knew exactly the thing to do when I was in a certain mood. It was the way he laughed and smiled, seeming so carefree when life was anything but. Most of all though, was the way he just...was.

He was so opposite and similar to me, surprising me as I was constantly finding out small pieces of information, trying to form a collective database on who Edward Cullen was. I knew him well, better than I'd known any man but my father, but I wasn't stupid; I knew there were things about Edward I didn't know. But the more I learnt about him the closer we grew, like a tight elastic shrinking, binding us with a promise to never break.

It showed me just how perfectly we fit together. I always liked to revert back to his Lego reference; every aspect of our lives clicked in place, just like those coloured pieces of plastic.

"It was kind of tough," Edward said from behind me as I stuffed my arms into my jacket sleeves. I was brought out of my thoughts and zipped up my coat, turning around to find Edward still standing in my doorway. "But I think I did okay."

I smiled at him and rolled my eyes. He was too smart for his own good and always thought he did just 'okay', when really he did fantastic.

"Edward I'm sure you aced it," I replied, slipping on my sneakers by the door. I fisted my hand into his coat and leant up, trying to steady myself as he helped me and pressed his cold lips to my own.

"I hope so," he breathed against my mouth, "I _think _I did well." I shook my head and kissed him again, pulling away quickly as it often barely took anything to get us worked up.

"We should go meet Dean and Alice and Jasper," I told him, swiping my key off the ledge above my bed before taking his hand. His crooked grin greeted me and we left, going out of Berry as we made our way to the student centre. We walked inside and I was engulfed in warmth, hearing the bustling sounds of the hundreds of students milling about, enjoying the last days of semester.

"Bella!" I heard Alice's voice calling. I swivelled my head and looked down over the railing, watching as Alice's over-excited self bounced at me from a table below. I waved back and Edward and I went down the stairs to where they were sitting. Alice and Jasper were on one side, along the wall, and who I assumed was Dean had his back turned to us.

"It's about time you finished that exam Edward," Alice said with a smirk, her eyebrow cocked as she teased him. Dean turned around in his chair to face Edward and me, an amused smile on his face. He had forehead length, light brown hair and blue eyes. His smile was crooked, and vaguely resembled the one Edward frequently wore.

He was...attractive.

"Anyways, now that you're done and finally moseyed your way here, this is Dean," Alice said, gesturing to him. He stood up and extended his hand to Edward, both of them exchanging friendly greetings. Dean wasn't as tall as Edward, and I guessed that maybe he was just less than six feet.

"And you're Bella?" Dean asked, more than sure of himself because I was the only one left.

"Yeah," I said with a chuckle, taking his hand and shaking it. Once we were all introduced we sat and talked for the next hour. We joked around a lot, Alice and Edward mostly because they were always the ones that got into it. They didn't piss each other off or press each other's buttons, just bickered like brother and sister. Sometimes it was a little ridiculous.

"So, I guess next time I see you guys will be moving day, huh?" Dean said, standing behind his chair as he slid his coat on his shoulders.

"Looks like it," Jasper replied, sitting comfortably with his arm around the back of Alice's chair. Dean nodded and pushed the chair in.

"Alright, well I'm looking forward to it. Have a good summer, eh? Don't drink too much." He winked at me and nudged Edward in the shoulder before he left; a chorus of 'bye' and 'see yah, Dean's calling after him. Since he had a good five hour drive ahead of him he wanted to get out now so he could be to New York by nightfall.

"I should get back to get some more packed," Jasper said to Alice, angling his head towards her as the four of us sat in silence. "I've still got my movies." Alice gave Jasper her adorable half-smile and rolled her eyes at his lack of organization.

"Come on then, we have to be ready to go in the morning. Bus leaves promptly at six," she said with a playful tap to his shoulder. "We'll see you back at the room?" Alice asked, directing her question at me.

"We can just come with you now actually," I answered, looking beside me to Edward. "Unless you're hungry still?" He gave me that look I knew, the one that said 'are you kidding?'

"Really Bella?" Edward said. I huffed and stood up with everyone else as we put on our coats and left the student centre, heading back to Berry. When we got there we all went back to Edward and Jasper's room, finding it to have the same empty feeling as mine and Alice's room. Without the pictures and decorations that were specific and unique to us, the rooms were plain and generic, able to bend and fit the personality of anyone to come.

For the rest of the afternoon we spent our time in their room, helping Jasper to pack up the movies and a few other things, but mostly we reminisced. Anything and everything we went through this year we talked about, and I was finally able to say that my nightmares had faded into vague memories, skewed and distorted.

After we had talked about the good and the bad we all headed to Commons for dinner and had one last tribute to pasta and garlic bread for the year. As I was sitting around with the four closest people to me I aimlessly looked around the dining room, my eyes lingering on the spot I'd laid eyes on Edward the second time – the time I'd realized he was actually Jasper's roommate.

Suddenly I got all emotional. My breath got caught in my throat and I almost felt like I was going to choke as tears welled up in my eyes.

"Hey, love," Edward said, leaning down to look at me, blocking my view of the place in which he'd stood not seven months ago, a mere stranger whose eyes I had fallen in love with. "Are you okay?" I blinked and a few tears fell. I quickly wiped them away because it was such a ridiculous thing to cry over.

"I'm fine," I said with a genuine smile. "Just thinking about when we met." He gave me that perfectly crooked smile and skimmed his thumb across my cheek.

"One of the best days of my life," he told me quietly. I felt the blood rushing to my face, surely colouring the pink hue I seemed to have taken to this past year. "I still got it." He winked and dropped his hand to mine, pulling me closer to him as Alice and Jasper were just sitting quietly with us.

When we finally left it was close to seven, and I was dead tired from being up earlier than usual this morning to pack the rest of my stuff. In the morning Edward and I were leaving at the crack of dawn, hooking up with Emmett because the Volvo was too small to fit all of our stuff.

"So...I guess I'll see you when we come back to Forks," Alice said, nearly crying already as she was getting her luggage ready to take to Jasper's room. Edward and Jasper were there already, getting Edward's stuff to bring here. Alice and Jasper were leaving before we were, and didn't want to wake us up when they left. The last night spent at Dartmouth...and it wasn't with my Alice.

"Yeah," I replied, nibbling on my lower lip. She let go of the handle she was holding and practically flung herself at me, gripping the back of my neck as she stood on her toes to hug me.

"I'm going to miss you so much," she whispered, tears evident as my shoulder became damp.

"I'm going to miss you too," I told her, leaking tears of my own onto her shirt. "You'll have fun though," I assured her, pulling away. Her brown eyes were watery pools, and I smiled to rouse one from her. "I know you will."

"I know," she said, smiling back. "Just after this year...everything's so different. But you're not. You've been – such a constant in my life Bella. You're the best friend I've ever had, I love you." She sniffled and hugged me again, and I hugged her back, holding onto my friend for a little while longer while I still had her with me.

"Love you too," I whispered back.

After our emotional breakdowns passed I traded Alice for Edward. For me it was a toss up because either one was more than preferable to spend my last night with. But it did make sense in the end to spend it with Edward, and I was more than happy to just curl up with him on my bed and listen to the gentle hum of the heater as it warmed my room.

After we'd spent the better part of two hours talking and cuddling and kissing I was practically falling asleep. I vaguely remember Edward getting off the bed to turn off the light because my eyes were closed and my lids were heavy.

I do, however, remember his weight on the bed as he climbed back on and crushed me to his chest. I pressed myself further into him, inhaling his scent as I began drifting off to sleep.

For one last time, Edward let me have the spot in between him and the wall.

---

That morning we met up with Emmett and piled our stuff in the Jeep. I was groggy and tired, and Edward insisted on driving first because he felt too uncomfortable letting me drive in such a state. I didn't even make it to the interstate before I'd fallen asleep again, enjoying the gentle, soothing humming of Edward as we headed home.

Three restless days later we arrived in Forks, and I was greeted excitedly by Charlie and the Clearwater's as Edward and Emmett dropped me and my stuff at home. Right when I got there I was bombarded by Seth, his arms wrapping around my waist.

"Hey rug rat, have you gotten bigger?" I asked, laughing as I had just barely walked in the door when Seth stormed me.

"Mom says I've grown three inches!" He beamed, letting me go so I could say hello to everyone else. When everyone had their 'hug Bella' time I was immediately pulled into the living room by Leah and Sue.

It had been transformed. It was no longer a lazy boy, football hangout – it was pretty. The old, beige paint had been replaced by a new, dark green coat. It was vibrant and luscious, reminding me of Edward's eyes when he was angry. The couch, love seat, and lazy boy had been rearranged, making the space more open to the flow of traffic. But in the center of everything was a larger coffee table, one that had not been there before.

Atop said table were papers and pens and notebooks galore.

"What is all this?" I asked, gesturing to the mess in front of me. Leah and Sue exchanged glances and smirks, pulling me to the couch so I could better see what it was.

"Get into wedding planner mode," Sue said, picking up a piece of paper and handing it to me. I glanced down and read over the thick, cardboard-like rectangle, my eyes lingering on a few choice words before I smiled.

_The wedding of Charles Swan and Susan Clearwater._

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**A/N: **Seriously, give me what you got! Anything? Everything, hell, just take a sec to say 'hey'. I'd much appreciate it. And I have enabled anon reviews, so even if you don't have an account on fanfic you can review now.

The song Jasper and Edward belt in the tunnel to Commons is Miami by Taking Back Sunday.

Next chapter is quite obvious...no? If not then you'll have to wait a few days until it finally gets posted.

Again thank you all for even taking the time to let your eyes linger over this story!


	32. Complete: Part One

**A/N: **Oh, wow. So I definitely got this done a lot sooner than expected. Which works out well for everyone else : )

I originally had one LONG assed chapter, like really long. But instead of making you all read a horribly long ramble I decided to cut it up into two parts. So it worked out well.

I want to say thank you so much to all my readers one last time! You're all awesome. Clancy119, xobee, crazykatwp...thanks for the constant reviews. Thank you for caring.

I know...I jipped you again last time with the Valentine's Day scene, and if you were as disappointed as crazykatwp I would like to tell you all that I will be posting outtakes for LFK when I'm done writing it.

Anyways, enough with my rambling.

Enjoy! (One more time for lemons!)

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E.P.O.V

I stepped out of the fitting room, adjusting the cuffs of the finicky jacket sleeves as I heard the voices of Emmett, Jasper, and Seth. I rolled my eyes and continued to fix it, deeming the fucking thing incapable of repair as I huffed, blowing my unruly hair from my eyes.

"Having problems Edward?" Charlie asked, walking from his stall in a form-fitting tuxedo. The vest underneath was an off-white, shining like a beacon through the undone jacket he wore over top.

"Kind of," I mumbled, feeling like a moron because I couldn't fix the stupid cuffs.

"Come here," he beckoned with his hand, shaking his head as a small smile tugged at his lips. Since we had been back I'd spent a lot of time with Charlie as Bella had been holed up with Sue and Leah – and recently Alice – to plan the wedding. I think with how much we were around each other we got to know one another better, and I actually found that Charlie was warming up to me.

He was finally realizing that I wasn't just another Mike or Tyler, going after his gorgeous daughter to screw her. I could tell when he genuinely smiled at me that he knew I meant more to her, and she to me. He knew this wasn't just something we stumbled upon, but something that had been set in motion by fate. He knew we couldn't help that we fell in love.

And I think he was glad it was me, not someone else.

"You just flip it around like this," he said, flicking his wrist and folding the cuff the way I wanted it to go. "There." He looked up at me and winked before laughing heartily.

"Thanks," I said with a grin, going to stand in front of the mirror. I looked into it and saw Jasper and Emmett on the other side, looking into a mirror on the opposite wall. Emmett gave me the finger and it repeated a thousand times in the mirror as the reflection bounced off theirs. I heard Seth's laugh rolling off the walls, but couldn't see him because he'd gone out of my view.

"Yeah you too," I hollered, shaking my head as the five of us stood in our tuxedos. Today, as planned by Sue and Bella and Leah, the men were getting the final fitting for their tuxes, while the women were getting the final fitting for their dresses. The wedding was a week today, and everything from this point on was perfectly planned.

Although their wedding was just shy of a hundred guests and not that extravagant, the planning that went into the wedding had Bella completely consumed. She'd been busy making arrangements with the other two, picking out centerpieces and the perfect flowers. I had seen her a few times alone since then, and saying that I enjoyed those few hours alone would be a fucking understatement.

Whenever I saw Bella lately it was like I couldn't get enough of her, like she would disappear if I didn't have her in my arms.

"God I'm gorgeous," Emmett boomed, bringing me from my thoughts when he clapped his hand on my shoulder, his goofy grin staring back at me through my mirror. I rolled my eyes and shrugged off his beastly hand, quirking my brow.

"Yeah Em, the perfect male specimen," I sarcastically replied, causing Jasper to snicker.

"So, how are the tuxes working out?" The salesman – Laurent – asked. Emmett cleared his throat, biting on his lower lip as he tried to contain his comments. We had questioned which team Laurent was batting for as his demeanour and dress suggested he was as gay as they come.

"Great thanks," Charlie informed him, glancing our way before buttoning and unbuttoning the jacket he was wearing. "I think these are perfect...Edward?"

"Yeah, mine fits fine," I said with a shrug, the tux feeling just tight enough but not too tight.

"Boys?" Charlie asked, looking at Emmett and Jasper with the same expression he'd worn all day – amusement. The both of them had been non-stop with the jokes the entire morning, making crude comments and rousing fits of laughter from Charlie, Seth, and me. I'd been tempted to join them, but instead of acting like an ass in front of Bella's father I tried to seem more mature than that, not letting myself slip to appear like a delinquent.

"It's like I'm not wearing clothes," Emmett replied with a grin, glancing in the direction of Laurent. The salesman looked at Emmett appreciatively and I tried to hold back my laughter, turning my attention to Jazz.

"Mine's good," he said with a nod of his head, swaying back and forth. He began mouthing words and I knew he was singing again. He'd been doing that a lot since I'd been finishing the piece I'd composed for Bella. We would both sit in our room at Dartmouth; he would play guitar and sing while I closed my eyes, lying on my bed trying to hum the melody for her song.

He'd tried to teach me to play guitar a few times, but with exams coming around I found it hard to concentrate. We had all the time in the world, and living together next year we would be under the same roof; I could always ask him and I knew he'd be there to teach me. He loved music, as did I – it was one of the many things we had in common.

"Seth?" Charlie asked, looking over to him as he sat down on a bench and stood up a couple of times, likely testing whether or not the fabric sat right against him. Chaffing was the worst.

"It's good," he told Charlie with a small smile.

"Well then, if you're all set I can check you out whenever you like," Laurent told us, a blatant double-meaning lacing his words. Emmett choked back a laugh and replaced it with a cough as Charlie told him we'd change and be right out.

After we spent an awkward and tense ten minutes at the register, getting constant glances and winks from Laurent, we left the store.

Gladly.

"Want to get an ETA on the girls?" Charlie asked as we headed back to the car. I pulled out my phone and called Bella, getting her on the fourth ring.

"Hey!" She greeted me, a lot happier than I expected. "How's it going with the tuxes?"

"We're done actually," I told her, stopping when we all got to the Volvo. "How about you? When will you all be done?"

"Uh, well we're just waiting on Sue because the dress needed to be taken in a little. It's so...beautiful. I love her dress," Bella told me with a laugh. I smiled back, unable to keep my composure when she let that adorable giggle escape her lips.

"Alright, well we're just going to make our way to the restaurant now, so we'll see you when you get there," I said to her.

"Okay. We should be done soon, hopefully. We'll try to hurry up."

"Bella don't. Take your time, its fine. We'll meet you there," I assured her, unlocking the doors to the Volvo so everyone else could get in. She sighed.

"Okay, I'll see you soon. I love you."

"Love you too." I hung up and got in the car, looking in the back to see Jasper, Emmett, and poor Seth in the middle, his entire body squished by the big jack asses sitting next to him.

"How you doing back there Seth?" I asked, smirking and turning around to turn on the car. I heard him chuckle.

"Oh just fine, you know, minus breathing," he answered. Charlie shook his head and we left to go to the restaurant. The streets of Port Angeles were bustling, and for early June it surprised me. It took us ten minutes to get there, and from where we were in relation to the place we were eating, it should have taken us five. I parked in the back and we got out, heading in the doors of 'The Clock Tower'.

Charlie told the hostess we had a reservation under the name Swan and we were shown to our seats, which happened to be a bunch of conjoined tables near the back of the restaurant. We sat and talked for a while, listening to the jokes of Emmett and Jasper again, much to our amusement. When twenty minutes had passed I had glanced to the door for the sixth time in hopes of seeing the bridal party – this time with luck.

Sue entered first and spoke with the hostess, followed by a woman I knew to be Emily – one of Sue's oldest friends, and the co-maid of honour, along with Leah. Bella followed with Alice and Rose, and my heart skipped about twelve beats because it always did that around her.

They joined us and a chorus of greetings were exchanged. I stood and leant down, not caring that Charlie was there as I kissed Bella. She placed her hands on either side of my face and I felt her smiling against my lips, her brown eyes opening and gushing excitement into my own.

"Hey," she breathed, pecking me on the lips a few more times.

"Hi," I said to her, unable to explain the difference of the air in the room when she was around. It was just...better. When she was near everything was simply right. I took her hand off my face and led her to the table, sitting her down next to me and pulling her chair as close as I could. I glanced around and saw everyone else conversing, getting a calculated stare from Charlie before I shifted in my seat.

We had been on good terms with each other, but I did need to respect him and the boundaries I set when Bella and I were around him. She was his only child after all, and his _daughter. _

I sent Charlie a tight smile and he gave me one of those genuine smiles back before he turned to speak with his wife-to-be. As I looked around the table, taking in all the chaos and calamity of everyone trying to talk to each other at once, I couldn't help but feel complete.

I was exactly where I needed to be, and for once, it was somewhere I wanted to be. I wanted to be in a relationship with Bella, sitting here next to her as our family and friends sat around us. I wanted to be happy and peaceful, not having to worry about the future because I already knew that she would be in it. I wanted to get through this time consuming wedding and be there to watch Charlie as he would finally call Sue his wife.

But mostly, I just wanted to...be. I wanted to be and live without any worries, and this summer, that's exactly what I planned on doing.

---

I knocked on the door, hearing what sounded like a hundred footsteps on the other side as it flew open.

"Hey," Charlie said, looking a little flustered. "Come on in. The place is a zoo." He shook his head and turned around, heading for the kitchen while I kicked off my dress shoes. Tonight was the rehearsal dinner, and by the look on Charlie's face, it was getting hectic already.

"Is everything okay?" I asked him, looking into the living room to see Seth playing his Xbox.

"Fine," Charlie replied curtly, sort of reminding me of Bella when she was in a bad mood. "It's just insane around here." He sighed and took a beer from the fridge, cracking it open and taking a long sip. He was already dressed to go, in his suit, and even the shoes, which explained why it sounded like a herd of elephants were coming to the door.

"Well, look on the bright side, only one more day," I told him, leaning against the door frame. He leant against the counter and nodded, giving me a helpless stare.

"Bella's upstairs getting ready with the girls if you want to go see her," he offered, pointing his beer-holding hand behind me to the stairs. I glanced behind me and then nodded, leaving Charlie to his own thoughts as I went in search of her.

I saw Sue flying by me, rushing from the bathroom to the bedroom with a hurried 'hello'. I kept on walking, knocking on Bella's door and hearing Alice's voice from the other side. She was saying something about hair, but I couldn't be sure. Another door flew open at me and Bella stood on the other side, in short, _short, _shorts, a ratty, old, sexy t-shirt, and hair and make-up to die for. My jaw unhinged.

"Hey," she said to me, leaning up to peck me on the cheek. I didn't know how to move. My limbs felt broken, beyond repair. After not being with her for nearly two weeks – eleven days to be exact – I could barely contain myself. I gripped her by the shirt, attaching my hands to her ribs and holding her close.

"What are you wearing?" I groaned, kissing the spot where her earlobe met the side of her face.

"You like this?" She asked, her voice shaky as she pulled back a little. I nodded stupidly, feeling truly like an invalid as she blushed.

"Fuck, what are you doing to me?"

She bit her lip and _fuck. _

I couldn't do it anymore.

I pulled her from her doorway and into the bathroom, closing the door behind us.

"Edward –" I cut her off, silence filling the small bathroom as my lips contoured hers. I slid my hands underneath the fabric of her shirt, pulling it up and over her bra before gliding them around to the back, unclasping the hooks from each other.

"Edward," she gasped, letting her head fall back against the wall. "We can't." I peppered the skin of her neck with kisses, lifting the each cup of her bra and watching as her nipples became hard. I took one into my mouth, groaning when Bella's hands and fingers twined into my hair, tugging gently as she moaned.

I subtly began lifting her shirt and bra, and surprisingly, she let me. She had told me moments before that we couldn't but she wasn't making any move to stop me. I knew she wanted it just as bad as I did.

"I thought you said we couldn't?" I said to her, tossing her shirt and bra to the floor before hooking my fingers in her short-as-fuck shorts. I looked up to her face and she bit her lip again, seeming torn.

"We shouldn't," she told me, shaking her head. She ran her hands along her stomach, lingering on the skin of her breasts as she moaned, making me harder. "But I want you so bad."

That was enough for me.

I ripped the shorts down and Bella stood naked in front of me, her pale skin radiating her beauty as it contrasted the white of the wall. I hastily un-tucked the dress shirt from my pants and Bella's hands replaced mine as I discarded my jacket. I glared at the buttons of my shirt.

Fuck buttons!

"Screw the shirt, just leave it on," she told me, pushing the pants from my hips as she saw my dilemma.

If she didn't care, then I didn't care.

I kept it on and kicked the trousers aside as I stepped forward and captured her lips with mine again. Her hand immediately found my painful erection and she stroked it firmly, making me nearly growl into her mouth from the raw pleasure her hand could bring me.

I skimmed my hands along her sides and dipped my fingers low until I found my destination. She was so wet and felt so warm against my fingers, and before long I couldn't stand not feeling it around my dick anymore.

I pulled away and dragged her over to the vanity, taking her by the hips and setting her on the counter. Her heels dug into my ass when she shoved them hard against me, and I lifted my shirt a bit, pulling Bella to the edge of the counter as I found her entrance.

When I was fully in her we both shuddered and I saw goose bumps coating her skin as she bit her lip, resting back on her hands as I fucked her in the bathroom. I didn't care how sick and twisted it was that we were screwing in the bathroom while five other people were in the house, able to catch us at any minute. I only cared about needing this, because I was feeling desperate.

After a few minutes I felt her shaking, and to be honest, I was nearing my release too. I couldn't hold on much longer, and knew that when she came I'd most likely follow. She always embodied perfection when she threw her head back and moaned, crying out when I made her cum.

But, just when she was biting down hard on her lip as I pounded into her, a knock sounded on the door; Alice's high-pitched voice was coming from the other side.

"Bella?"

Fuck. Bella looked to me and I stopped. We didn't know what to do.

"Yeah Alice, I'll be out in a few minutes."

"What are you doing?" She asked, the knob on the door slowly turning. Bella hastily pushed me away and got to the door just in time to slam it shut.

"I'm going to the bathroom," she said to Alice. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Fine, hurry up though, we have to leave in ten."

I felt my stomach dropping, a nervous wave flowing through me because of how close we came to being caught. It also gave me a rush of adrenaline. I felt even more turned on and as Bella locked the door and came back over to me I pulled her in for another kiss.

"That was close," she said with a sigh. "And so was I." She crossed her arms and pouted like a child. It was adorable.

"Love I'll make you cum," I told her, turning her around to face the mirror. "I promise. Now bend over." She looked at me through the mirror and bit her lip again, making my dick twitch. She had no idea how drop dead gorgeous she looked, having that 'freshly fucked' glow along with her flawless hair and make-up.

I latched my hands onto her hips and she leant over the vanity, placing both palms firmly on the counter as I let my hands explore the smooth skin of her ass. I wasted no time in filling her again, watching as she covered her mouth with her hand when I went deeper than before.

Since I had been so close already it wasn't even a minute before I stilled myself inside Bella, my hips jerking against hers as I came. She finished along with me, her tight, warm walls clamping down around me and her eyes meeting mine in the mirror as her ecstasy mimicked my own.

I pulled out and we quickly re-dressed, trying to be as quiet as possible. When we had composed ourselves I went to open the door, and why wouldn't Alice be there?

Her arm was up, fully ready to knock on the door as I swung it open, facing her with an 'oh shit' type of expression plastered on my face. Her jaw hung open and Bella pushed against me, most likely peering around me to see why I'd stopped dead in my tracks.

"You...no, you did not just –" Alice covered her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles. "My god, you're unbelievable." She shook her head and even I felt myself blushing. I couldn't imagine what Bella's skin looked like as she stood behind me.

"Shut it, Alice," I said, stepping out of the bathroom. She laughed and Bella came out after, just as I predicted; she was as red as a ripe tomato.

"Let's get ready," Bella said to Alice, pulling her towards her bedroom. Alice looked between Bella and me, rolling her eyes, not able to shake the bemused expression that she was wearing. Bella gave Alice one last shove and she went tripping into the room, yelling at Bella that she was bitch. Bella simply laughed and shut the door, turning back around to me.

"So...awkward," she said, nervously laughing after. "At least it wasn't Charlie." I quickly nodded. She was right on that one; Alice was definitely preferable to Charlie.

"Agreed," I replied, leaning in to kiss her once more. "Go get ready and I'll see you in a few." She beamed up at me and bit her lip again, entrancing me.

"Okay, and...Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?" I asked, furrowing my brows.

"For just...being you," she answered lightly. I grinned at her and kissed the tip of her nose before she turned the handle and went back into her room. As I went back down the stairs I felt myself relaxing, because Bella always had that effect on me. When I was tense or worked up she was there to ease my stress and problems.

While right now I wasn't the one stressed, I knew that the wedding was important, and something that Bella cared about getting perfect. She had been worried this past week whether or not they chose the right flowers, whether or not the caterers would show up, and if the DJ would play the correct music.

She just needed to calm down, and I knew that if I felt relaxed, she would be feeling it too.

We always felt the same around each other; we were whole.

---

The rehearsal dinner went off without a hitch, and to say Bella was pleased would be putting it lightly. She knew she still had the wedding itself to deal with, but having our close-knit group together the night before eased her mind and she was able to take a breather. I was glad that she was feeling less stressed about the entire thing, and was actually trying to enjoy the preparations rather than fretting over them.

"Edward?" Emmett said, a knock on the door accompanying his voice.

"Yeah, come in," I told him, finishing up my outfit by sliding the jacket over my shoulders. Emmett opened the door and he and Jazz came in, already dressed and ready to go. We had to head down to Forks because the people in the wedding party were arriving to the hotel by limo. Sue had originally planned for the wedding to be outside, just in the backyard, but since the weather of Washington was unpredictable at best, they decided to hold the ceremony and reception at a hotel in Port Angeles.

"Ready man?" Emmett asked me. I did up one button in the middle and shrugged.

"Yep."

We all went downstairs to say goodbye to Esme and Carlisle because they were arriving in Port Angeles by their own means. In all reality Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rose should have been doing the same, but Sue had made an exception for the four of them because they were close with Bella.

Esme looked beautiful, naturally. Her dress was simple and black, with an interesting swirly thing happening around the bust area. I didn't know how else to describe it, but she made the dress work. Hell, she could have made a brown paper bag fashionable.

After the three of us made Esme blush from our compliments we took off out the door and got into the Volvo, heading for Forks. The weather outside was overcast, which wasn't anything unusual, but the air was muggy and thick. I felt that I could cut through it with a knife it was so heavy.

"Dude, air," Emmett said, blasting the air conditioning and sticking his face in front of the vent. I saw Jasper shaking his head in the rear view mirror before he began to nod his head, mouthing the words to yet another song as I sped down the highway.

When we got to Bella's house there were a few more cars in the driveway. Alice's ostentatious Porsche was there, Bella's truck, Charlie's police cruiser, and another car I didn't recognize. I parked behind them all and we got out, heading up the steps to the front door of the house. We knocked and waited, but nobody came.

"Uh..." Jasper said, looking around for god knows what. "What do we do?" I shrugged.

"Maybe it's too loud in there. Let's just go in," I said. I opened the door and I could hear people, lots of people. We left our shoes on and went into the kitchen where Charlie, Seth, Leah, and a man in a wheelchair were gathered.

I quickly realized that the man in the wheelchair was Billy Black, Charlie's best man. I hadn't met him yet because he was busy the day of the tux fittings, and yesterday during the rehearsal dinner he'd gotten a call on his way there from one of daughters; it was some emergency and he couldn't make it to the dinner.

"Edward!" Charlie beamed, coming over to the doorway.

"Sorry, we just came in. We knocked but..." Charlie waved his hand at me and clapped me on the back.

"Don't worry about it, its fine. I'd like you to meet someone though," he told me, turning around to Billy. "This, my good friend, is Bella's boyfriend, Edward." Charlie gestured to me and Billy gave me a small nod, his hands folded in his lap.

"That there is my best man, Billy," Charlie told me. I stepped forward and extended my hand to him, and after a few seconds of him just looking at it, he took my hand and shook it.

"It's nice to meet you kid," Billy told me, smiling a little, making the skin around his eyes crinkle.

"Yeah you too," I replied with a smile of my own. "Uh, this is my brother Emmett," I said gesturing to him, "and my friend Jasper." They both took their turns exchanging manly handshakes with Billy and we all stood and talked for a few minutes before I realized that we were still missing vital people in the wedding party.

"Where's Bella and Sue...?" I said trailing off when Charlie rolled his eyes.

"Well, thanks to Alice, mom has been practically at a spa since nine this morning. They're getting her ready, hair and make-up, you know. No one in the bridal party is actually getting dressed until we get there," Leah told me. I looked over to her and noticed that her hair and make-up was already done, and to be honest, she looked great.

I never really thought of Leah as being overly beautiful, I always thought she was pretty. But with her hair and make-up done to Alice's standards, she looked very composed – well, for her.

"How come you aren't getting ready until you're there?" Jasper asked Leah.

"Well for one, the groom can't see the bride in the dress before the wedding," Leah began, like it was stupid of Jasper to be asking the question. "And secondly, since mom doesn't need to be ready until then, we all just decided that we'd keep our dresses a surprise. Alice and Rosalie aren't doing that though, because they have to greet the guests – along with you two." Leah pointed at Jasper and Emmett and they looked at each other funny.

"Why us?" Emmett asked. "We don't know any of the guests." Leah waved her hand as if to say that it didn't matter.

"Alice does, so it's okay. Just stand there and say hello."

Jasper and Emmett shrugged their agreements, and when they did I heard footsteps on the stairs. We all turned around and watched as Sue, Emily, Bella, Alice, and Rosalie came down them. They had bags and boxes and dress bags, and shit. Where were they going, on vacation?

"Do you need help?" I asked, going to bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, no Edward, we're fine. Thanks sweetheart," Sue said going down the stairs and rounding the corner. All the girls followed her to the living room and Bella gave me an adorable smile as she passed.

She looked stunning.

Her face was as beautiful as always, but her eyes were smoky again, like the night of Emmett's birthday. That night I couldn't control myself, and tonight –

Let's just say I made a silent vow to myself to not feel Bella up at her father's wedding. I needed to make some sort of...checklist; a list of things that I wouldn't do.

Feeling Bella up and punching that Newton fucker in the face; those were the top two.

"Alright, limos should be here any minute," Charlie said with a positively radiant grin. I'd never seen the man so happy in all the time I'd known him, which made me smirk. It was good that he'd finally found someone he could love again after Renee divorced him.

I could see why their relationship didn't last though. Renee was more of a free spirit while Charlie was more grounded.

He liked the stability in life and craved routine, just like Bella did sometimes. Then there was Renee who seemed to live life more on a whim; a 'whatever happens, happens' type of person. I saw how much of her parents Bella had in her, and to a certain degree, she had both in there. While she needed structure and all that, she sometimes just loved to do random things, with no plan or reason.

It was just one of the many reasons why I loved her, and believe me, the list is long.

"Charlie," Sue said, almost rushing into the room. "The limos are here." She was smiling just as wide as Charlie had been when she told him this, and after that...a lot happened.

Everyone started rushing around; Leah was pushing Billy in the wheelchair to the front door and the rest of us were filing out. The girls grabbed all their bags and boxes from the living room and I helped Bella carry down a box when she looked like she had full hands. She silently thanked me with her smoky eyes and I wanted to just stand there and look into them all day.

Unfortunately we had to go to the wedding still, and the ride there wasn't going to be spent with Bella. The bridal party had their own limo, and us band of misfits had one to ourselves as well. It made sense, but I wanted to be with her.

Today I was feeling everything. I was a little emotional, and since Charlie had agreed to let me play a piece for them at the reception I was also a kind of nervous. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I was pulling a Renee.

I was just going to let things flow.

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**A/N:** Okay, part two up next. Please, please review after both. I would love to hear your thoughts on each.

I wanted to keep it all one chapter, but since it was close to 11k just on Word, I knew it would be another thousand on FFN.

Oh, and by the way, for next chapter, the links to the dresses each of the girls wore will be on my profile : ) If you want to see what they looked like check it out.


	33. Complete: Part Two

**A/N: **Okay, part two ya'll.

This is officially the last chapter!

*sobs*

I really hope you all enjoyed this story. Thank you so much for reading it : )

For one last time...Enjoy.

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E.P.O.V

When we arrived at the hotel everything was rushed, and we all moved like we were a herd of cattle. It was insanely ridiculous because Sue and the bridesmaids needed to get ready, so the girls all left us at the doors and took off to do that while us guys walked around like we were fucking foreigners.

Eventually we made it where we were needed and I saw where the ceremony would take place. About a hundred plain, white chairs were facing the front of a large banquet hall, each adorned with two small yellow flowers on the right side. Where the aisle was there was a long, white carpet, leading up to the alter where I would eventually be standing across from Bella, looking into her eyes as her father and Sue exchanged vows.

It gave me goose bumps to think about how intense the whole thing would be, and a small part of me wondered if Bella would cry. Because I knew if she was crying then that would mean tears for me too; I was such a damn sap when it came to her and her tears. I couldn't hold them back when she got emotional. I felt what she felt.

"This is perfect," Charlie said from beside me. I glanced over and he was admiring the lattice work on the side of the wall as it was draped with sheer, white fabric. The place really did look amazing.

"It looks great," I said, taking in the rest of the room. I watched him as he nodded in agreement and looked back to the other guys as they checked out the room as well. We stood there for a while just talking about anything that came to mind, and when Alice and Rosalie came into the room all of Jasper and Emmett's attention was drawn to them.

They both looked amazing. Alice's hair had gotten a bit longer since Emmett's birthday and in a few places she had small curls, which made her look adorably like a pixie. Her dress was short, like above-mid-thigh short, and black, with a thin line of silver flowing from her cleavage until it disappeared behind her neck.

"Hey Al, you look great," I said to her, leaning in to hug her after Jasper nearly threw her down on the floor of the banquet hall. She wrapped her small arms around my waist and hugged me back.

"Thanks," she replied with a smile. "You do too. The tuxes are fabulous." I let her go and looked to Rose next, watching her and Emmett as he was pretty much drooling on the floor over her dress.

It was a simple dress, with thin straps running over each shoulder, dipping low so she could show the world her cleavage. It was a shimmering gold, and with her necklace and clutch thing, she looked like she was ready for the runway. Her hair was in curls as well, and hung loosely on her shoulders, where Emmett's hand had just taken up residence.

"Rose you look amazing too," I told her with a grin, because Emmett wasn't letting her go. She rolled her eyes in his direction as his big arms wrapped around her and she smirked, mouthing the words 'thank you' to me.

After that a few guests began to arrive. Some guys from the police station in Forks came with their wives and girlfriends, and the four of them greeted by the entrance while I stood inside with Charlie, talking to the people that were coming in. When nearly twenty guests had been let in I went over to the entrance, hoping to possibly see a glimpse of Bella before we actually walked down the aisle together.

"Have you guys seen Bella?" I asked, wanting an answer from anyone.

"She said she's not leaving the room until the ceremony starts. She wants the dress to be a surprise," Alice replied, smiling up at me and then looking away. I frowned, but the mortification on Alice's face as she stared down the hall was painful. She shook her head and looked away, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Alice, are you okay?" I asked, looking worriedly up to Jasper. He stood behind her and leant down, just gazing into her eyes, most likely having a silent conversation. He nodded and stood back up, leaning into me.

"That's Ben," Jasper said, tilting his head to the guy coming down the hall with a group of people. "And the girl...well, that's who he cheated on Alice with." My eyes went wide.

"No way," I breathed. "Alice, you'll be fine. Confidence remember?" She turned and looked up to me, smiling widely. We had talked about this before, and she knew she could do this. She always told people confidence was important to have, and we all knew she had it. She couldn't let Ben and Angela see that what they did to her still affected her. She gave me a tight nod before turning.

She greeted the Cheney's and Weber's graciously, keeping herself perfectly composed as she shook the hands of their parents, giving small waves to Angela and Ben. Ben looked at her three fucking heartbeats longer than necessary, and I swear I could feel the tension rolling off myself, Jasper, and Emmett when he did so. If he wasn't careful he would be put on my list of people not to punch.

We all breathed in relief when they left to enter the hall.

"See," I said to Alice, nudging her on the shoulder. "I told you that you could do it." She put both her hands on her stomach and nodded, breathing out deep.

"Yeah," she replied, staring absently at the floor as Jasper's hands gently massaged the back of her neck. After a few more guests were greeted I went into the hall once more, seeking out Charlie and Billy. I found them talking to Paul and his parents as we had just let them in the doors. Paul seemed to be a good guy, and he and Leah were still together despite what problems they may have had before.

I listened while they talked for a few minutes, not really knowing what to say because I didn't know them at all. Thankfully the silence on my part was broken when an old couple came over to us.

"Mom, dad!" Charlie greeted, going over to his parents and hugging them. When he pulled away he motioned for me to go over, and I did, standing nervously in front of them. Bella told me all about her grandparents, stories of when she was younger and would visit them, the way their house smelled like cookies and made her feel like she was home.

They seemed like the nicest people in the world.

"Ma, this is Edward," Charlie said gesturing to me. The look on her face was priceless; she knew all about me. She scrapped the handshake and pulled me in for a hug, her white hair tickling my face as she did so.

"It's so nice to meet you darling. I heard so much about you from Bella," she told me, pulling away to look up at me. "She's right; you're such a good looking boy."

"Oh, thank you," I told her, smiling a little awkwardly. It was a nice compliment, but it was almost like I was being hit on by Bella's grandma. It kind of made me shiver.

"I'm so glad she's found a good one," she added with a wink. I laughed and shook hands with Bella's grandfather. He was a little bit taller than his wife and they were both all glowing smiles, talking animatedly with Charlie and me. Even some things in her grandmother I could see in Bella and it made me smile that what she did just wasn't by habit; it was simply part of her.

"Edward!" I heard my name being called over the crowd of people, and as I turned to look I saw Carlisle and Esme approaching. I smiled at them and waved them over.

"Charlie," I said, turning around and calling for him. He had wandered away temporarily and came back over, looking all around frenzied as his hair was standing up in the front. "I wanted to introduce you to my parents." I turned around and saw that they were standing next to me, all perfectly manicured like they usually were.

"Hello," Esme greeted, leaning in to hug Charlie. "I'm Esme, and this is my husband Carlisle." Charlie returned the hug and shook hands with Carlisle; immediately they were consumed in talk. I could tell they were going to get along, so after introductions were shared I left them to converse amongst themselves and went back over to the doors.

"...is Bella not here?" I heard a voice saying.

"Yes she's here," Alice replied, sounding angry as she answered the voice. "It's her father's wedding." I pushed my way through to the place where Alice and the others were standing; watching as she crossed her arms and spoke with a guy around our age.

"Uh, where is she?" He asked, sticking his hands in his pockets as he looked apologetically down to Alice.

"She doesn't even want to look at you," Alice replied, her voice a low growl. "I strongly suggest you don't try to either." I stood behind Alice, cocking my head and looking down to this kid.

He was kind of short, only coming up to my chin, and he had short, blond hair.

"But I need to apologize –" He began, but Alice cut him off.

"Mike she doesn't want your apologies!" Alice hissed. I clenched my jaw.

_Don't punch him in the face. Don't punch him in the face. Don't punch him in the face._

I breathed in deep, trying to keep my anger at bay while Mike sighed.

"If Bella wants to say anything to you, she will. If she doesn't, then leave her the hell alone," I told him, my voice surprisingly calm. Mike looked up to me and he gave me a hard look, narrowing his eyes.

"So you dictate what she does now?" He asked, trying to seem confident.

"Look buddy, just back off alright," Emmett said, stepping forward. "Thanks for coming, blah, blah, blah. Get your ass inside." Mike just stood there, looking back between myself and Emmett, and glancing to Rosalie quickly.

_Oh no, you poor fucker. _Bad move.

"I swear, you have three seconds to get inside that hall," Emmett said, pushing Rosalie back and taking another stride towards Mike. He took a few steps away from us, raising his hands in defeat as he retreated into the hall, not even looking back.

I realized after he left that my hands had clenched into fists, and I was glad that I hadn't lifted one to his face. So far I had kept one of my promises to myself and I just needed to wait it out now until I could see Bella.

It had to be the longest half an hour of my life.

---

I stood by the doors, waiting eagerly with Billy for the girls to get here already. Charlie, the minister, and the guests were inside, all waiting on the same thing as us.

The bride.

I started pacing, nervous for some reason, when I heard them coming down the hall. I looked up and my stomach flipped, not able to contain the reactions my heart was sending to my brain.

First off, Sue was gorgeous. Her dress was simple and elegant, draping to the floor but not hindering her ability to walk. Her hair was curled, and as I saw the other three I realized that was the trend for the women in the wedding party.

The dresses of the bridesmaids were a deep, wine red. They were floor length, strapless, and flowing, gently billowing around each of their legs as they came to stop in front of us.

I couldn't even describe the way Bella looked because it was excruciatingly beautiful. Her hair was pulled up and out of her face, tendrils and curls hanging down onto her shoulders as she leant down and adjusted the dress. She smiled up at me, raising her eyebrows to ask me if I liked it. She looked more than stunning, and as the only accessories she had on were the bracelet I gave her and a necklace, it was all she needed.

"You're...uh," I trailed off, clearing my throat. "You look – amazing."

It didn't do her justice, but it would suffice.

"And Sue, you look incredible," I added. She fanned herself and rolled her eyes to the ceiling, like she was trying to hold herself back from crying.

"Thank you," she muttered, leaning in to hug me. She pulled away and I took a few deep breaths, glancing back over to Bella. She and I were up first. Leah and Billy were going in after us, and as Sue's parents had passed away years ago, Emily was taking on the honour of giving Sue away. Although she had already been through this once before, Emily didn't want Sue to walk down the aisle by herself.

I lifted my right arm for Bella and she hooked her hand on the inside of my elbow, gazing up at me as I stared down at her. We were having our own little moment, just looking at each other and not caring about anything else until the music started.

Just like that, we headed down the aisle, two pieces of a puzzle that had found each other amongst millions; unable to break the bond that had formed.

**B.P.O.V**

I stood across from Edward, silent tears streaming down my face as my dad and Sue vowed to each other that they would be with one another until death. I couldn't take my eyes off him, listening to the words being spoken and knowing that we felt the same about each other. We both knew that these words were hitting a spot deep inside each of us, as we'd both vowed to be with each other – always.

When I first saw him I was surprised I hadn't jumped him, because there weren't enough words in my vocabulary to describe the way Edward looked in a tuxedo. He looked inhumanly beautiful, filling out the tux perfectly as his muscles were barely noticeable through the jacket.

When I wiped my cheeks off and glanced back up to him I saw his breathing as it stuttered and he bit down on his lip. I had only seen him do that a few times since I'd known him, and it was always when he was upset. I knew he felt the same.

Through the rest of the ceremony I cried, trying to keep back the sobs along with Leah as we watched our parents getting married. She gripped onto my hand at one point and I squeezed it back, gaining a sister and brother as well as a step-mother.

I'd never felt more complete in my life; standing up here with my new family, gazing across the aisle to my future, knowing my friends and other family members sat in the seats to my left.

I felt so alive and aware of everything. It was like a veil had been lifted and I broke out of the fog, seeing clear skies for the first time in a while. The year had been rocky at best for all of us, and while Edward had been there for support, there were some times that I just needed my space.

Right now everything was perfect. Nothing in life was hard or complicated. Nobody was hurting or sad. We were all gathered here, in this hall, vibrating happiness and shedding tears and not caring at all. It was the most elated I had ever felt, and it made me cry even more when I looked over to Edward again, watching as his crooked smile greeted me.

When Charlie and Sue kissed and walked down the aisle, followed by Emily, Leah, and Billy, Edward and I took our leave as well. I gripped onto his arm tighter than ever and he pulled me close to him, letting me sob into his jacket. When we got out the doors he led me down the hall and stopped against the wall, hugging me to his chest. I wrapped my arms around his torso and he lifted my face with his hand, gazing down at me as a few tears finally escaped his eyes.

I knew he'd been holding them back.

"I love you," he told me, leaning down to capture my lips with his. "I love you so much."

"I love – you, too. More, than...anything," I replied, pecking at his lips fretfully.

"One day – that will, be us," he said between kisses, and I giggled.

"Okay," I told him, nodding my head. I pushed my heels against the ground and stood on the toes of them, tilting my head to deepen our kiss while his hands held me firmly against him. I felt the tears subsiding, but the heat I felt increased as Edward's tongue slid against mine.

_You promised not to jump him, remember? _

I sighed, kissing him a few more times before pulling away. I knew if we kept going I would get even more into it, and who knows what people could come walking down the hall, stumbling onto our little make-out session.

Edward held my hand and led me back to the hall, where everyone was filing out. The wedding party, as well as my nana and papa, were all to go to the garden in the back of the hotel to get photos professionally taken.

When we were all ready to go we headed out back, but not before I saw Mike coming out of the hall, giving me a desperate look. I quickly turned with Edward's hand in mine and didn't look back to him, just hoping he'd go away. I really didn't want to deal with him right now.

"Are you okay love?" Edward asked, guiding me out to the back and letting me out the door first. I rolled my eyes at the ground.

"I saw Mike," I admitted quietly. Edward shook his head and breathed out hard.

"Yeah, I saw him before," he said tersely. "He was looking for you and wanted to talk to you." I gaped at him.

"Seriously! He said he wanted to talk to me? About what? Another 'I'm sorry for feeling you up last Valentine's Day?'" I was angry, trying to keep my raging feelings aside because I didn't want to screw up this day and end up punching Mike in the face. Edward sighed and his thumb slid across the top of my hand soothingly.

"He said he wanted to apologize," he told me, glancing sideways while we followed the rest of the wedding party to the garden. "I told him if you wanted to talk to him you would, and he got all pissy on me. Stupid...fucker." He muttered the last part but I heard him, and couldn't help but laugh.

"Well thank you for telling him. I'm sorry you even had to meet him," I replied sheepishly. I thought I liked Mike back then, but now, knowing what it was like to be in love, and to be loved back...what Mike and I had was nothing. It was stupid and juvenile and didn't even really count as a relationship.

"It's fine Bella. I just had to make sure I didn't punch him in the face at your father's wedding," he said with a sexy smirk, still pulling me along to where the photos were being taken.

We spent more than a half an hour posing for pictures. A lot of the time we stood watching while Charlie and Sue took various pictures with everyone. Of course we also had our turns in the photos, and even had some done of just the two of us, but for me it was just pleasing to watch them being happy, in love, and married. I felt better about my parents' divorce now, knowing that they were both truly happy.

I knew Charlie had been troubled for a year or two after, and even when he began dating Sue. But now there was no sadness or regret in his eyes. There was no remorse of left over feelings for my mother. All I saw was a look of serenity as Charlie posed for another picture, holding the hand of his wife whose finger wore a beautifully cut ring, gleaming in the dim light that had peeked through the clouds.

"Bella! Edward!" Charlie and Sue waved us over and we went to pose with them, the photographer taking at least five pictures before we were allowed to leave.

When we'd all smiled until our mouths hurt we went back inside and were told to wait in the lounge or bar as the hotel staff set up for the reception. They were using the same room but needed to alter it to fit tables in there.

Edward and I found the others sitting near the bar at their own table, talking and laughing along with Paul and Leah who had just joined them.

"Hey Bells! The ceremony was beautiful!" Alice squealed, putting both her hands on her chest. "I cried too."

"Me too," Rosalie and Leah chimed in. I laughed along with the guys and Edward pulled up chairs for the both of us. We sat with them and talked about the wedding and how eager we were for them to start the reception. I was enjoying myself, until, that is, Mike came over to me.

"Hey Bella."

I swallowed forcefully; looking to Alice's angered face before turning in my seat and looking up to Mike. Edward's hand tensed on my own and I squeezed it tight, silently telling him to back down.

"Mike," I answered curtly.

"Do you mind...can we talk for a sec?" He asked nervously, glancing to Edward and then behind me. I bit my lip, trying to keep my mouth shut as I nodded.

"Bella," Edward said, tugging on my hand. I glanced over to him and his brows were mashed together, concern washing over his face. He was such a sweetheart for caring, but if saying a few words to Mike would get him off my back for the night then I would do it.

"I'll be right back," I told him, leaning in to kiss him softly. He nodded against my face and I stood up, following Mike out of the room. He stopped just down the hall and turned to me, his fingers nervously twitching.

"Mike, please, just spit it out."

He gulped and looked down to me, pursing his lips.

"So, that guy...he's –"

"Yes," I said, cutting him off before he got any ridiculous 'let's get back together' ideas. "He's my boyfriend." Mike nodded and stayed quiet. "What do you want? Did you expect to come here and get me back with yet another apology?"

"I...no Bella. I just – I don't even know. I wanted to say I'm sorry again. For everything. I, hope you're happy with him," he said, nodding his head in the direction of the door. I turned around, and to my elation I saw Edward standing there, leaning against the door frame. I'm glad he didn't trust Mike as far as he could throw him.

"I am happy, and Mike...you're forgiven. What we had...it just – wasn't..." I trailed off, not wanting to hurt his feelings. "It didn't work." He let out a sigh and nodded again.

"I know, and thanks," he said with a tight smile. "I was an asshole." I nodded back, crossing my arms over my chest. "Anyways, thanks for talking to me. I'll see you around I guess."

"Yeah, bye." I turned away from Mike and went back to Edward, embracing the future and leaving the past in the past. He watched me wearily, like I was going to break down, but I smiled at him and his tension melted.

"Nothing to worry about," I said with a quick peck on the cheek.

"Good," he replied. After another ten minutes of chatter we headed back to the hall, leaving the rest of them as we had to wait outside. The wedding party was to be announced upon entry to the hall for the reception, so we had to wait for our grand introductions.

We stood out there for about fifteen minutes while everyone took their places, and when they were all finally settled the DJ's voice came over the speakers. He greeted everyone and broke the ice, getting right to the point of his speech when he announced us.

"...so give a hand to bridesmaid Bella Swan, and groomsman Edward Cullen," he said, giving us our cue to walk in. Edward took my hand and we were swarmed with a round of applause and a chorus of flashing cameras. Emmett's loud voice was heard over the rest as he whistled and hurrahed, making the both of us shake our heads at his ridiculousness.

When we took our seats in the middle of the room Leah, Emily, and Billy were being announced and came strolling like we had, making their way to the same table we were at. The clapping ceased once again and the DJ began talking. He was setting up for the introduction of the newly wed couple.

"Okay, family and friends, here they are. Please welcome, for the first time ever, Mr and Mrs Swan." I clapped along with everyone else, watching Charlie and Sue beaming at everyone as they walked into the room, hand in hand – debuting themselves for the first time as a married couple.

God damn tears.

I felt them spilling down my cheeks again as they made their way over. I couldn't help it; I couldn't help the sheer joy that was pouring out of me today. I looked over to the table our friends were sitting at and noticed that Alice was crying too, wiping her hand across her cheek as she smiled at me. I smiled back and felt Edward's hand rubbing up and down my arm. I angled my head towards him and he gazed back, giving me that lazy grin as we listened to the DJ and his plans for the way the night was to proceed.

Dinner was to follow his speech, and after that, dancing and mingling.

The hotel staff served a three course meal, and a rich cheesecake for dessert, after which I felt nearly sick because I'd eaten the entire thing. Edward and I were just talking quietly to each other, kind of lost in our own little world when the DJ announced that it was time for the first dance. Sue and Charlie got up, getting another round of applause as they took to the dance floor, getting ready for their dance.

The lights dimmed and the music began, Elton John's _Something About The Way You Look Tonight _coming through the speakers. I listened to the lyrics and watched at they gently swayed back and forth, smiling at each other with that look of unconditional love I recognized all too well.

It was the look Edward was giving me when I turned to my left and showed him my tear-stained face.

"_And I can't describe. But it's something about the way, you look tonight. It takes my breath away, the way you look tonight."_

He took my hand and pulled me in closer, not even paying attention to the dancing couple as we stared at each other. After a few seconds he stood up, extending his hand to me. I got up with him and went to the dance floor, followed by other couples such as Esme and Carlisle, Rose and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, and my grandparents. The second chorus began and I slow danced with Edward, not breaking his gaze as we barely moved across the hardwood.

The words to the song flowed through the room as even more people filled the floor, and I couldn't focus on anyone but Edward as the lyrics were permanently ingrained in my head. We slowly turned a few times before the song ended and was replaced with another one.

It was a romantic song too and we stayed to dance with everyone else, enjoying the slow music while it was on.

After dancing to a few songs the DJ cut in, saying he had a surprise for everyone.

"Wish me luck," Edward leaned in to tell me. I furrowed my brows as he left my side and walked into the darkness, into the back corner of the room.

"One of the groomsman," the DJ continued, "has a little something he'd like to play for the bride and groom." I felt my stomach doing summersaults as a spotlight shone on Edward.

He was sitting at a piano.

I hadn't even noticed it was there, in the corner of the room, but there it was. He was lifting the lid to the keys and he pulled down the microphone so it came to his mouth.

"I wrote something a while ago, and couldn't find the right ending to it. It's complete now, so I'd like to play this for Charlie and Sue," Edward said, glancing to where they were standing a few feet away from me. "Congratulations, both of you."

He pushed the microphone away and his fingers struck the keys.

My song filled the room, echoing off the walls as Edward played it flawlessly. It peaked in the middle and I stifled my sob with my hand, feeling Alice's on my shoulder while the melody Edward was playing became more passionate than before. I didn't recognize the ending at all, but when I heard it played in its entirety I knew it was the right way to end it.

Edward looked up from the piano, connecting his eyes with mine from across the room when he played the very last note. As I looked at him wondrously, falling deeper into those vibrant, green eyes, I thought of the first time I saw him.

We gazed at each other, already knowing this was the end of the line for us. Without speaking about it or exchanging vows we knew we were it. I'd found my last piece and he'd found his. Edward and I were finished – our puzzles were complete.

The End.

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**A/N:** Alright...I cried. Anyone else? Just me because I'm the writer?? Please let me know your thoughts on the story!

If you never have just leave me something, I will reply!

Anyways, thank you everyone for sticking with me this far. I truly appreciate the praise you give me, and I'm so glad for those that enjoy my writing.

The song for this chapter that literally made me bawl was Elton John's 'Something About The Way You Look Tonight' – adorable song that just made me cry when I thought of LFK. Honestly. Please listen if you've never heard it.

If you're looking for something else to read and enjoy my writing I have another fic in progress, Forgive Me, Please. 10 chapters in and another update expected soon with this fic being completed.

Thanks again one last time everyone. My first fic ever is DONE!


	34. LFK Playlist

**A/N: **These are just some songs that gave me inspiration for certain chapters. Some aren't really fitting to the story, but I just used particular lines. Or in some cases they are just songs I listened to while writing.

Inevitable by Anberlin, has the lyrics to the title of this fic, the one that gave me inspiration in the first place : )

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Playlist for Last First Kiss:

Inevitable – **Anberlin**

My Beautiful Rescue –** This Providence**

Every Breath You Take –** The Police**

Mona Lisa –** All-American Rejects**

More Than a Feeling –** Boston**

Heels Over Head –** Boys Like Girls**

(Everything I Do) I Do It for You –** Bryan Adams**

Let's Make a Night to Remember** – Bryan Adams**

Safe Ride –** Cute is What We Aim For**

Beating Hearts Baby –** Head Automatica**

Here (In Your Arms) –** Hellogoodbye**

Thinking of You –** Katy Perry **

Use Somebody –** Kings of Leon**

Change for You –** The Midway State**

When the Day Met the Night – **Panic at the Disco**

I Caught Myself – **Paramore**

Your Guardian Angel – **The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus**

This is for Keeps – **Spill Canvas**

Until the Day I Die – **Story of the Year**

Here Without You – **Three Doors Down**

Find a Way – **The Used**

I Caught Fire – **The Used**

Brown Eyed Girl – **Van Morrison**

Rock Me Now – **Metric**

Polygraph, Right Now – **Spill Canvas**

Flightless Bird, American Mouth – **Iron&Wine**

Dismantle. Repair – **Anberlin**

Another Heart Calls – **The All-American Rejects**

Something About The Way You Look Tonight – **Elton John**

Weapon – **Matthew Good Band**

Kelsey – **Metro Station**

September – **Earth, Wind & Fire**

Everlong – **Foo Fighters**

Rockabye – **Shawn Mullins**

Miami – **Taking Back Sunday**

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**A/N:** Throughout the fic I mentioned 'Alice's Deadly Sins'. I made a list of all seven.

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Alice's Seven Deadly Sins:

1. Not owning the latest fashion trends

2. Having bad hair

3. Looking hideous

4. Being late

5. Being messy

6. Being Mike Newton

7. Being lied to


End file.
